Scoundrel Appearance
As we approached, we dodged the jagged rocks sticking up like teeth from the water's surface, and reached the shore near the base of the house. The sand was dark and moist beneath our paws, crushed volcanic rock. I looked up, getting a better examination of the demon's residence. The fortress resembled an aristocratic house, as if plucked from the noble's quarters and placed atop the isolated rocks. The beautiful house was just starting to be worn down by the wind and ocean's battering. A dark shadow high above swooped in the air and entered through a high window. A low and urgent woof from Rei drew all our attention. "We must be careful when we confront this beast. From what I have heard, Nekomata is no normal monster. He holds great, terrible dark powers that allow him to re-animate the dead and make them do his bidding. Be very careful." Rei re-iterated, driving the point home. Everyone nodded in agreement and started quietly towards the main entrance. Single file, the warriors swiftly snuck inside, all except for one.
Jun stood quaking like a leaf in the shadow of the doorway, unable to bring himself to cross the threshold. "One of us shall surely die!" He howled sorrowfully. "One of our number shall never resurface! Never be free of this accursed place!"
"Shut up, you damned Kudan!" Daiko snapped, glaring at the brown dog. "Do you want to alert every demon on this island?" The Saluki's sudden attack seemed to work for a moment, then Jun started whimpering again and covered his face with his paws, crouching down. "We should have never come here!"
"There's no turning back now." Ryota stepped forward. "Any one of us would give their life for one another, and this mission is vital to the protection of our village."
"Come on Jun." I said gently, coaxing him to his feet. "One of us is going to die." Jun whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear, gazing straight at me. I felt a chill go up my spine, but I shook it off. His eye wasn't glowing like it had before when he'd spoken prophecy. 'Surely he's still just overreacting?' He shivered, frozen to the spot. "Even if that is the case..." I said, grabbing his scruff and lifting up the brown dog as if he were a pup. "We're already here, there's no point in getting cold feet now. Cowering here will do nothing, and might make things worse, right Ku- Jun?" I said, partially muffled by fur. He nodded unhappily as I carried him through the doorway. "So long as we stick together and fight together, Nekomata and his minions will be no match for us!" Shisa barked encouragingly.
We started together down the entrance hallway, staying quiet and alert. The house was very fine, lavishly built and decorated, yet there was also an air of decay about the place. Partially rotted beams supported the ceiling and foul smells of mold and mildew broke the façade of finery- rot likely exacerbated by the constant sea spray that buffeted the palace. This was not the carefully maintained den of extravagance owned by Dait-Tengu, despite the aristocratic origins of the home. It was now obviously a demon's nest. While walking through the slim corridor, suddenly one of the floorboards moved aside, a blackened hand emerged and tried to grab at my legs. I leaped away immediately and slashed with my rosary, but the hand had already disappeared back into the wood. All that remained was a laugh that made my fur stand on end. My racing heart beat in my ears like deafening drums as I trotted down the hall, stepping more lightly now.
My ears perked as I heard a tortured yell from deeper in the walls of the palace, full of despair. It caused me to stop in my tracks, vanishing as quickly as it had come. "What's wrong?" Shisa said, turning her golden head to look at me. "I heard something… I think there's a trapped soul in here somewhere." I shuddered, the sound of the pained cries still echoing in my head. Shrieking in pain and sorrow. There was a high chance of the demon lord keeping a prisoner here, possibly multiple ones- so that was probably the source of the cries. We'd have to hurry up and kill the demon king so we could free that poor soul. I trotted to keep up, and my mind was drawn back to the feeling of desperation and fear. They were like none I'd ever heard before. Such pain and feelings of entrapment, we had to hurry. No being deserved that.
"Perhaps it would be prudent to split up. Scout out areas of the house and give us the best & quickest chance to find the keys to the inner chambers." Ko suggested, and Rei nodded. "Yes, I agree. Dogs, take your apprentices. Akime-"
"We can handle ourselves." Hiraku assured him, and he seemed satisfied. "Very well. Howl if you require assistance, and we will come to you." He told the group, then we split apart.
Hiraku and I made our way along the right corridor, parting ways with the others as we passed a library, an empty courtyard, and a small dining room. As I peeked in through the dining room door, I saw a girl crumbled on the ground near the far end of the room. The girl sat with her arms shielding her face as the possessed household objects gathered around her, poking and prodding her in a taunting manner. I could spot an old, rotted dishcloth folded into the shape of a dragon, a grater whose spines made it look vaguely like an angry hedgehog, a turquoise umbrella flapping open and closed hopping on one foot, and a pair of battered sandals that kicked and slapped her in turns. "Shoo!" I barked, watching the household objects scatter. "Are you alright?" I asked the huddled girl. "What the heck were those things?" Hiraku asked. "Spirits of uncleanliness. The Master sends them to punish me when I don't fulfill my work." She murmured, ashamed, then at last looked up. Hiraku and I were both taken aback. The girl's face was a pale, grayish color, and her eyes were clouded over. She looked like… A corpse. "My name is Okiku." The zombie said quietly, clutching a piece of a broken plate to her chest. "Here, let me help." I said gently, blotting ink over the shattered plates so they were rejuvenated. The girl held up one of the restored dishes to examine them; it was perfect, except for faint golden lines between the rejoined pieces that were slowly fading away. "Thank you…" She said shyly, placing the dish with the others. "I still don't have them all…Do I? Hmm, let's see… 1, 2, 3…" She counted them all and then started again, and once more just to be sure. She was seemingly compelled to count them; I didn't know it then, but the dead's flaws in life were brought to the surface and maximized in death.
"The Master will be so angry if things aren't perfect, if everything isn't here and in perfect order." The poor zombie girl looked beyond worked to the grave, her sunken eyes were surrounded in dark circles. This was her curse, even beyond death to be tortured by an unattainable perfection for the sake of the one who would not let her sleep. It was past her time, her mind and soul were distorted and lost, begging for release from a broken body. Perhaps with Nekomata's death she could finally find some peace. I pawed her side but she couldn't be distracted from her task, so I walked away to keep exploring.
Not far along I saw a human figure standing guard by a door to what looked like the dining hall, another zombie like Okiku. No fighting ring arose, and he seemed anything but aggressive. Perhaps Nekomata didn't need them as soldiers, only to serve different purposes. He was clothed in fancy -but blood-stained- robes. One eyeball didn't fit very well into his deteriorated socket, looking like it might pop out, with a fleshy tendril hanging by his ear like a monocle chain. "Excuse me, we need to get in there." Hiraku said impatiently. The zombie remained unmoved, staring, unimpressed at the poncle on my nose. "I will only open the door on behalf of the Master." He stated in a deadpan voice. This wasn't going to get us anywhere.
I head-slammed into him to no avail. His ill-fitting eye popped out, only prevented from soaring across the room by its fleshy nerve, which made it dangle by his chest. He calmly grabbed it and popped right back into his skull without hesitation. "I will only open the door on behalf of the Master." He repeated blankly. Neither power-slash nor a cherry bomb could make him budge, no matter what I threw at him, he only stared at us with a mildly disapproving glance and said the same line. "There's gotta be something we can do so Mr. Zombutler will let us in." Hiraku commented, and I agreed, Nekomata had to get in somehow, perhaps if we searched around we could find some way to trick him into letting us past.
I poked my head into a large room that looked like it was a study of some kind. Hana, Noriko, and their mentors had surrounded a zombie. Hana rushed in and bit into the man's arm, ripping it off in the process. The zombie just blinked at her, then held out his other hand towards her. "May I have my arm back?"
"You can leave them alone, they won't hurt you." Hiraku called out. "We ran into one too-" We turned our heads and saw Ryota, Kei, Daiko, and their mentors appeared on the other side of the study. "A woman tending a dying garden, she paid us no mind." Hana sheepishly gave the zombie his arm back, which he accepted with a "Sorry" and a "Thank you so much." There was another zombie in the room that just laid on the ground with a mop in hand, apathetically watching us scour the room but making no effort to stop us, or do anything. I opened the top drawer and a few very angry household objects flew at my face, quickly dealt with by my divine weapon. A few drawers later, I came across a small, dirty, golden key. I grabbed it an examined it. "Did any of you see a door this might go to?" I asked the others in the room, holding the key up high. Noriko came over to sniff it. "Yeah, I think so. Back down the hall, on the left side of the house. It smelled like there was food in there."
I walked down the hall, trailed by the warriors, and unlocked the door Noriko mentioned with the key. Behind the door was a kitchen, with a chef bustling by the counter, over some tasty-smelling meats. "Let's see, what else, furikake…" The zombie sprinkled in some seasoning. "Hmm, what am I forgetting?"
"He'll only open the door on behalf of the master…" I mused aloud. "He has to open the door on behalf of his master's dinner." I reasoned. "That should work!" Hiraku said delightedly. "Hmm… Um… Oh! Let me add the furikake." The chef mumbled. I tilted my head in confusion and looked at the recipe, they were stuck in a loop on the first few ingredients, always forgetting what they just put in. This was going to take forever. "Can we help?" I asked the chef, putting my paws up on the counter. "Hmm? Oh, yes that would be wonderful!" She said gratefully. "You can help me with the ingredients, next I need…"
"Dried fish, chicken breast, tofu, furikake, oat grass, grated radish, 3 fish-shaped fish cakes, catnip powder?" Hiraku read off the list. "Yes!" The chef exclaimed happily. I looked in the bowl and saw fish, chicken, and tofu already in there, but it looked like all the tiny ingredients were still missing. "I saw catnip in the garden!" Kei barked excitedly and ran off. "I'll bet radish and oat grass will also be out there." Noriko reasoned, and trotted after him with Hana in her wake. "I'll find the others and tell them to gather here." Ryota volunteered, and also left. "Well if you're going to be in here you can at least help!" The chef complained to those of us remaining. "Oh! I almost forgot the furikake." Ko put a paw on the zombie's hand, stopping them from adding more to the already incredibly seasoned meal. "I'll keep them from spoiling the broth, you two find the last ingredient." He barked.
I traipsed back down the halls, thinking hard about if I'd seen any fish cakes in the house. I found one on a shelf in the study and another back in the room with Okiku. The last took some work, but I eventually found one in the courtyard, on the rim of a dilapidated fountain. I grabbed the last one in my jaws and ran back to the kitchen. When we arrived back, we saw the other dogs had also returned, Kei enthusiastically holding a radish almost as big as he was. We gave our ingredients to the chef, who expertly tossed all the foods together into a dish fine for any carnivore, making all our mouths water. "Would you mind taking this down to the dining hall for me?" She asked brightly. "I was hoping you'd ask." Hiraku said, as I took a plate in my mouth. "Oh! One last thing. A little bit of furikake." She placed a last sprinkle on top. "Now, don't you dogs eat it before you get there!" She warned. As tasty as the food smelled, defeating a demon would be even more satisfying.
We at last arrived at the door with the zombie blockading it. "We're here with food for the master." I declared, staring him in the eye. He gazed back unamused, initiating what felt like a contest of wills, but I refused to look away or blink. "Very well." The zombie finally said, stepping aside and opening the door for us. "Thank you!" I said, strutting through the door with my tail held high. The rest of the warriors filed in quickly behind me before he could close it.
The room was a large dining hall, in the past no doubt used to host dozens of esteemed guests. At the very end was a regal throne, its plush sides scratched and torn. Seated on top of it was… A ragged gray tabby cat. His pelt was scruffy and patchy, stripes faded and lackluster. He stretched and sneezed. "Mmmm, is that dinner I smell? But what's that awful scent tainting it?" The cat opened one golden eye, that peered at us hatefully from across the room. "Ah- that explains it." He rolled on his back. "A couple of filthy mutts have snuck their way into my home." Our hackles rose. "Nekomata! We have come to put an end to your evil actions." Rei barked, and I tossed the plate to the side. "Cease your dark magic now, release the souls under your control, and return to us our keywheel- and we will spare you."
The gray cat grinned, revealing a catty smile that was impeded by two oversized fangs. "You mean this?" A pinwheel-sized windmill appeared in front of him, which he batted at with a skinny paw. The warriors started forwards, but then it vanished again. "No, I don't think I shall." He spoke in a voice that was surprisingly eloquent, unimpeded by his giant fangs. He stood up, arching his back, and stepped off his throne, lashing his two tails. "Instead, I think I will add you to my collection of servants. I could use some new toys." As he treaded forwards, his size increased. His torn ears grew long, his fangs grew even longer, and blue fire ignited on the tips of his tails. We all sank into fighting stances as he took thunderous steps forward. "You will soon see the mistake you made, stepping foot in my palace. It's only too bad that no one will learn from your mistake, for none of you will live to tell the tale." The younger dogs' ears flattened in uncertainty as the monster drew nearer, but I howled a challenge to him, and they soon followed suit. The canine warriors lunged forward as a wave and surrounded the feline monster.
The battle was utter chaos, with 17 dogs and 1 giant monster with plenty of magic at his disposal. The cat's eyes glowed golden and spat fireballs at us. Luckily the warriors were quick and nimble, and were able to evade them. He momentarily became invulnerable as he cast a spell, rearing on his hind legs, and pulling up from the ground with his front paws. His servants appeared from the floorboards, separating us. The zombies were slow and timid fighters but made for an effective line of defense between themselves and their master- able to take blow after blow without flinching. He hissed, back arching and heaving, then spewing forth a fireball from his mouth towards us again. We were able to dodge out of the way, but the robes of one of his zombie servants got singed.
At last, we broke through his defenses and managed to get the cat backed into a corner. He hissed and spat angrily, aggressive hisses far different than his collected, almost beautiful voice. "Shadow!" He called into the air, his meow echoing around the room. Shadowy tendrils seeped in through the windows, conglomerating in a mass above Nekomata's head. It looked just like the entity that had stolen the keywheel from the shrine. It opened two bright-red eyes and gazed down at us, hovering in the air. A chill went up my spine and froze my paws to the spot as I faced the sheer darkness. The older warriors broke out of its terrible influence fastest; Rei snarled and leapt at the shadowy form. The demon caught him by the throat and held the dog high in the air above all our heads. The shadows parted in a cruel grin. Rei's mouth slowly opened in a wide, silent scream. We watched in horror as the ink of his very being was ripped away before our eyes. His color drained away into the air and the edges were absorbed into this creature of shadow, who was smiling mercilessly. There was nothing any of us could do, my brush couldn't penetrate the dense shadow, the ink was only absorbed. Within seconds, he was gone. Entirely vanished into nothing. The warriors howled in grief and terror, scattering in confusing and disarray; running in fear as the cat cackled.
Across the room from me, the shadow swooped towards Jun, who yelped in terror as it reached for him. At the last moment, Daiko jumped between the monster and the brown mutt, shoving him out of the way and instead forcing himself into the demon's path. The shadowy beast seized one of his back legs with a pitch-black grip, and Daiko screamed in pain as his ink began flaking away. Ume leaped up on the beast, sinking his fangs into the creature's back. The monster shrieked and released the black and white dog, allowing Ryota to sweep under him and take off running with the saluki draped over his back. The shadow-monster clawed at the canine on its back, knocking him loose and swept down upon him. The little pink dog vanishing beneath the shadow, and did not resurface.
I forged my way between the monsters and the dogs, summoning a tornado, a forest of trees, a firestorm, anything I could think of as a distraction. In my desperation, I ran out of ink, but it was enough to delay the demons long enough for the dogs to all get out the door into the hall. I saw a hole in the floor, with a couple half-upright planks blocking the entrance. I grabbed the planks and ripped them out of the rotted floor. "This way!" I howled, gesturing towards the hole, large enough to climb inside. The panicked dogs started jumping in under the floorboards, and I was the last to follow, rejuvenating the gap behind us. Seconds later, the boards creaked as the monstrous cat stepped above us. "You can hide, but you can't run, little dogs." Nekomata yowled. "My shadow will kill you if you try to leave, and you can't hide forever. I will find you and use you as an example for all those who dare oppose me!" His mighty paws left cracks in the floorboards, claws leaving long scores as he stalked down the hallway. We huddled under the floor, not daring even to breath, until his steps passed over us, and vanished.
(AN: All real Japanese monsters, btw. The umbrella… Dishcloth… Zombies resurrected by magic cats… Yep. Haha. Also, Akime wasn't going to call Jun a Kudan, she was reminded of someone else ^.^
But oh man, oh shoot, this is not good! Poor Rei & Ume D:)