Chapter Text
The months that followed Kanae’s death where heavy.
Sanemi stayed with them at night unless he was hunting, quietly and informally moving in.
They didn’t talk about it. Shinobu wouldn’t talk about it. Sanemi didn’t have it in him to press.
Gyomei was the one to burry her. Took her up the mountain they lived on and laid her to rest on the shelf above them. It was a beautiful spot, exposed to the sun and overlooking miles of nature’s beauty. Close to home, but not so close that it was where they couldn’t forget.
Sanemi wished he could forget. Wished he could forget ever coming across Kanae in the night, wished he could regret reaching out and tangling their lives. He wished he hadn’t been stupid enough to fall in love when he knew this world was bent on taking away anything good in his life.
It’s what he did forget that led to this. Whith his growing strength came confidence in his ability, in his destiny to destroy the demons. He was dragonborn, the antithesis to the demons. He knew that he would see the Oni fall. He’d been so eager to get on with it, and he’d been sure that Kanae could do it with him.
He let himself forget that all it took was one real demon to end it all, and that he was not ready to handle them.
Gyomei was right about him, and it sucked.
Sanemi wasn’t dumb enough to think that what happened to Kanae was his fault. It was sobering to realize just how quickly things could fall apart for them.
Shinobu was a shell of herself, poor kid. Buried herself in her work, etching lines in handbound books until it was dark enough for her to cry in private. Sanemi wasn’t good at consoling people, and be wasn’t sure if she even wanted him to. He settled for staying nearby, just in case.
She seemed to be getting better now, just a bit. Smiled well enough that it almost fooled him.
The discovery of wisteria, or rediscovery apparently, made a big difference in how they were able to handle the nights. Shinobu carefully created incense sticks for them to burn, and with a few tests they proved to be effective at warding off demons completely.
That gave Gyomei the comfort of knowing their home could be protective without one of them being alert, so he made some accommodations for Sanemi’s benefit. First he added a hearth and chimney to their main den, then he expanded the living space to be a lot more comfortable. He then expanded the storage room and carved a new room specifically for Shinobu’s alchemy. Sanei helped by carving wood shelves and a desk with draws. The manual work was a nice escape.
Shinobu was doing more than just making incense with the flowers, she was working on a poison that would be as lethal to demons as her own. As good as she’d gotten with changing her hands into claws, it was risky for her to get too close to the demons.
She wanted to be able to help the bands of humans with the wisteria as well. For now, that was limited to providing them with bags of dried petals. Drying them preserved the petals for a long time, but their effectiveness was significantly diminished. She was working on a perfume, but it’s effects wore off too fast.
They didn’t tell them about the incense. Hard as it was to accept, Shinobu could not make enough of the sticks to sustain demand. She tried. She tried for a full week, barely sleeping or eating until Gyomei intervened.
Helping them cannot come at the expense of ourselves. That was what Gyomei taught them, and Sanemi saw what he meant. He also saw how hard it was for the man not to burden himself with the weight of their lives despite his words.
Sanemi found it a lot easier to accept that the bands of humans were not their responsibility. From what he understood, the majority of them were criminals cast from the wall. The Band of the Black Cloth forbade procreation because the cries of children can’t be controlled, so very few of their two hundred members are second generation.
There were smaller bands that got by as well, groups of five or more who stuck together like little packs. It’s fun to come across them and see how they freak out over his horns and tail.
It’s not like he wanted them all to die to the demons either though, so Sanemi played his part in rescuing stray humans where he could. That was as far as he was willing to get involved.
And that was as far as he was planning to be involved when he came across a man carelessly shouting for attention.
“Man, this place is totally drab. Is there seriously no one out here?”
Sanemi observed the stranger from a distance.
“This isn’t going to cut it.” Despite being alone, the guy was talking in a bold voice. “I gotta find at least someone out here, then they can point me to a place with more flair.”
More flair? Where does this guy think he’s going, the hot springs?
This stranger was a weird one. Aside from his nonchalant attitude where most people are freaking out over finding their way back, the guy was decked out in jewels and makeup. He looked wealthy. What did a guy like him do to get banished?
A rustle in the trees made Sanemi glance away, and when he looked back the man was gone.
“The hell?”
“Now that’s a flashy look! Those horns look like they could be carved out of actual emeralds.”
Sanemi whipped around, startled by the voice behind him. On instinct he drew his sword and slashed.
The other dodged his strike like he was used to swords coming his way, his grin as bright as his beads.
How the hell did he sneak up on me like that? And he dodged my attack like it was nothing. Who is this guy? Sanemi held his form, sword bright in the sunlight. Now that he was face to face with the guy, he realized that calling him a ‘man’ was a bit of a stretch. His completion was youthful, he couldn’t be more than a few years older than himself.
“Is everyone out here so skittish?” He asked Sanemi. “I’ve been trying to get their attention the polite way, but everyone keeps on hiding.”
“Tch! You’ve got some nerve sneaking up on me like that. Who do you think you are?”
“Uzui Tengan! Master Shinobi, the God of Spectacle, and the Flashiest Man you will ever meet.” He had the gall to offer Sanemi his hand.
This guy is dead meat walking.
While he did not accept Uzui’s hand, nor lower his sword, Sanemi did incline his head and offer the courtesy of his name. “Shinazugawa Sanemi. Are you some kind of idiot or something? Bragging about being flashy might be fine where you’re from, but out here it’ll get you killed.”
“Oh, it would get me killed where I come from too if I weren’t such a skilled Shinobi,” Uzi said with an air of nonchalance.
That grin looked very punchable.
The term Shinobi rung a bell. He remembered hearing about them as a child, kids whispering about stealth assassins who move quieter than ghosts. For all he’d known, they were figments of fiction.
He hated that he didn’t know, and bemoaned the idea that someone with any education might. Shinobu almost certainly knew if this guys’ claim of being a Shinobi was something to take seriously.
What he definitely took seriously was that this guy had the body of a fighter, and the ease of someone who knows he can win. And somehow he’d gotten the drop on him.
“I don’t care what you are or who you are-“
“Then why’d you ask?”
“- you can’t be going around drawing attention to yourself. If you end up dead, whatever, that’s on you. But if you get someone else killed because you couldn’t keep quiet, that’s something I can’t forgive.”
“Oh, so that’s why everyone’s avoiding me. How pathetic, this isn’t a flashy place at all.” Uzui tilted his head back as he fixed Sanemi with a more serious expression. “Look, I’m not out to kill anyone I don’t have to, I’m just looking for someplace special. That starts with finding some civilization. So if you wouldn’t mind pointing me to the nearest settlement, I’ll be gone from here before you know it.”
Sanemi blinked. He’s dead serious. The tip of his sword dropped a couple inches as the absurdity of this guy’s request rolled around his head, and the next thing he knew he was laughing.
Uzui’s look of confusion only made him snort harder. “Look, I know how to land a punchline, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t tell any jokes just now. What gives.”
“You- heh- you are way our of your depth. Civilization? That’s the joke right there. You’re not finding anything like that. There isn’t any civilization left out here, only bands of people trying to get by long enough to reach forty.” Sanemi rested his sword against his shoulder. “Civilization only exists behind the wall, and you aren’t ever getting back there. Better accept that now and get started on the whole surviving thing.”
“You aren’t telling the truth.” There was no amusement or uncertainty in Uzui’s statement.
The hell? He was right. Sanemi was holding onto information, there was some semblance of a civilization out there. It’s were he came from. And like hell he’d lead anyone into that world of suffering.
“The truth is that this place is full of demons, and the farther out you go the worse they get. Trust me, you don’t want to find civilization.” Sanemi didn’t know what this guy was after, but he was certain the artificial life he came from wasn’t it.
Uzui’s smile returned, but it didn’t have the same level of openness as before. “So that’s what they are, demons.” Uzui scratched at the headband holding his hair out of his face. “I ran onto a few last night, they were such a pain. Wouldn’t die no matter how many times I cut their vital organs. I figured they must be something unnatural like that. Guess that’s the whole point of the wall, but I’d kind of hoped it was all a fib to keep people in line. That’s definitely a bit of a problem for me.”
Sanemi snorted. “You and everyone else out here.” He was a little dissatisfied yet not surprised by the fact that this guy had survived a demon attack already. “Look, I don’t have all day to entertain your delusions of civilization, so I’ll give you the next best thing and then we can go our separate ways.”
“A hot meal served by beautiful women at a natural hot spring lined with roses?”
He hated this guy more by the minute.
“There’s a group of survivors who call themselves the Band of the Black Cloak, and they do better than anyone else out here. I’ll lead you to where they’re camping, but that’s all.” Sanemi started walking, he didn’t have any patience left for Uzui.
“Well that’s a dreadful name, they should consider something a bit more flashy. Try The Obsidian Cloaks, or even just The Band of Black. The Band of the Black Cloaks is way to many words. And using the word ‘band’ makes them sound like a bunch of thieves. Him, a group of individuals united by their desire to survive demons,” Uzui snapped his fingers, “The Demon Survivor Corps.”
“You’re welcome to negotiate the name with them all you want, I couldn’t care less about what they call themselves so long as they stay out of my way.”
“You aren’t a part of them?”
“Hell no, do I look like some wimp cowering in the shadows?” Sanemi glared at Uzui. “I just drop off losers like you when I come across them. Less meat for the demons.”
“While I appreciate your ability to recognize that I’m a prime hunk of human, cowering in the shadows isn’t exactly my style either. How about I check out your group instead.”
“My ‘group’ isn’t interested in new members, not now or ever. Heck, we’re only even together because we share a condition, so buzz off.”
“Does it have something to do with the horns? Do I have to carve a pair myself to become an all mighty guardian of the forest?” Uzui mocked. “That’s what the get-up is right, some guardian regalia fit? Odd taste, but not unflashy. Could use a little more flare.”
“Sure, you could say the horns are a requirement. If you ever grow a pair, I’ll let you join.” The idea of leaving him in the dark about what dragonborn were amused Sanemi, and he wondered what all Uzui would do before the Black Cloaks explained that he couldn’t become one just because he wanted to.
“Do I have to sew myself a tail too, or is that just a you thing?”
Sanemi chose to ignore Uzui from that point on, leading silently. Uzui had enough words for both of them.
“Here.” Sanemi dashed forward and pulled a young man from where he crouched in the bushes. The barriers he’d been picking spilled from his clumsily woven basket. He looked like an especially pathetic weakling, looking up in fear as he let Sanemi drag him to his feet. But he did have a uniform made from dyed dragon hair, so he was good enough.
“Black Cloak, this is Uzui. Uzui, this is a member of the Black Cloaks.”
“My name is-“
“No one cares,” Sanemi cut him off. His wavering voice was too painful to tolerate. “Your job is to show Uzui the way back to your band, he’s joining. I’ve got places to be.”
Sparing Uzui a final look, Sanemi said, “Don’t get these looses killed.”
~*~
Tengen let Shinazugawa get a decent lead.
The poor soul who’d been dragged into this hesitantly tried to open a conversation. “S-so you want to join the Band of the Black Cloak? I’m sure they’d be happy to have you, we could use someone strong like you.” His awe was ill-concealed, which Tengen appreciated. Clearly his flair wasn’t lost on these forest dwellers.
“Sorry, chum, but I’m not interested in joining any bands today. I just broke free of my old clan, and from the sound of things you all aren’t really my speed. By the way, you might want to hurry and pick up those berries. Someone’s on his way, and he seems like he’s in a sour mood.”
This ill-concealed awe became open awe, so Tengen gave him a wink. “I’ve got excellent hearing. Good luck to you.”
“- better not be slacking!”
The young man turned toward the voice as it reached his range of hearing, and Tengen took that as his opportunity to slip away.
That Shinazugawa guy was an interesting piece of work. Covered in scars, suspicious of strangers, grumpy attitude. It was all very intriguing. And what he said about the horns, that stood out to him. Shinazugawa specifically said grow a pair of horns. Not make them.
Tengen prided himself on pursuing all the finest wears within the wall, from authentic jade harvested centuries ago to cheaply leafed trinkets that were doomed to flake after a few wears.
The gold he wore around his arms were mixed with stronger metals to keep them from warping, but the silver of his headband was pure, embedded with cuts of rose quartz. The beads were celestial quartz. There were finer stones out there, but to own them would be to own something too valuable to wear, and that makes it hard to dress flamboyantly.
Point being, the horns Shinazugawa had were not made of any material Tengen was familiar with, and they were not carved by a novice. They looked real, in a sense that shouldn’t be possible.
Then again, demons existing shouldn’t be possible, but the night he’d had last night said otherwise.
“-swear he was right here!”
Tengen paused to catch a snippet of the Black Cloaks’ conversation.
“I was just minding my business picking berries like you told me to when a dragonborn grabbed me! He made me spill my berries, then showed me this guy he said was going to join. The guy was huge! He-“
Dragonborn? So that’s what they call you. He listened in a little longer, but the conversation between them stagnated with the first trying to explain his situation and the other arguing skeptically. Nothing else of interest was said, so Tengen left them behind.
Shinazugawa had a further lead than Tengen meant to let him have at this point, but his trail wasn’t hard to track. They guy traveled with no intent to cover his tracks, so there were clues as clear as if someone where shelling almonds.
Tengen was able to close the distance in no time, slipping through the forest in absolute silence. It was, admittedly, a lot more difficult to maintain this level of stealth in such a thick wilderness. He was certain that if this was training, he’d of had three strikes now.
Once Tengen could hear Shinazugawa, he slowed down to merely match his pace. He didn’t know enough about this guy to assume his senses were as dull and most peoples.
Out of nowhere, the wind started to pick up.
Shoot. The wind was blowing against his back, dulling sound from ahead. He had to get closer now.
The wind wasn’t the only thing picking up speed, Shinazugawa was too. He was gaining an impressive amount of speed.
For someone not trained as a shinobi, that is.
Tengen kept pace behind Sanemi for a few meters, closing in until he was almost within sight. And then the rhythm of his run disappeared entirely.
Well that shouldn’t be possible.
Tengen risked getting closer while taking care to stay hidden. It’d be rather embarrassing to have to explain why he was following him before he found a good reason to have followed him.
When he got to the place that Shinazugawa should be, he wasn’t there. The wind was loud, whistling and rustling the forest. Tengen had to focus for the sound of life, beats of movement that broke the pattern of the wind. But there was nothing coming from the area, just a sound from above.
When Tengen looked up to see what bird was overhead, he saw was Shinazugawa running on the wind.
Yep. That definitely shouldn’t be possible.
Shinazugawa was moving in an inhuman pattern, twisting and grabbing and running. The white and green tail ribboned behind him, the sun making the scales shimmer in iridescence.
Tengen didn’t have much time to be impressed by the sight, Shinazugawa was moving much faster, fast enough that it might be a little concerning for him here on the ground.
He made a lot more mistakes chasing the part-dragon man, each sound messing with the music of his heart despite the fact that he was alone out here. They didn’t matter anymore. Mistakes had to be made for speed, and the target’s trajectory of hearing made them insurmountable.
It’s not the target alone who should remain oblivious. No living soul, not the maid nor even the cat should ever sense your presence, not a shiver from your passing.
No. Doesn’t matter. Those teachings were not him anymore. They didn’t need to keep clotting his mind.
This time Tengen kept Shinazugawa within his line of sight. At times he had to run though the boughs of the trees to do that, but that made it fun. He hasn’t had a challenge like this in a long time, not without the threat of having his tenders severed.
Shinazugawa took him north-east, well away from the wall. The Wisteria Wall was such a tall structure that even this far away it was clear against the horizon. Same as when he was inside, ever present. If one were to delude themselves, they could almost look at it’s pale white and lavender and think they were home.
He’d have to find a place where he wouldn’t see it for things to work out the way he planned. Being reminded of home was something they could do without. That wasn’t a part of their paradise.
When the wind began to fade, Shinazugawa started to descend. Tengen returned to the shadows yet kept close enough to be in full view of what would happen next.
Shinazugawa landed at the edge of a cute little home built into the side of a mountain cliff. It looked cozy, in a poor person sort of way.
There was a young girl out front wearing a butterfly pin and cream haori. She was fine looking, sharp and petite. But also young, too young to be the mistress of this home.
“You’re late,” she said to Shinazugawa without turning away from the garden she was tending to.
“I ran into someone, had to pass him off to the black cloaks.”
“Lucky he survived to morning on his own,” the girl commented.
“Luck is an understatement, the dude was walking demon bait. Shouting for people to tell him where civilization is and wearing all this gold and jewel junk. Hurt my ears and my eyes.”
The girl turned her head, and when she did Tengen saw that she also had horns. He didn’t see them before as they’d looked like stray strands of hair, but now they stood out. Vibrant purple, curved and barbed. They looked fragile, in a way, but in the way that a razor knife is fragile.
“Gold and jewels? Sanemi, people don’t get sent out here with gold and jewels.”
Shinazugawa shrugged. “This guy had ‘em. I think he must have been a rich guy back in the wall. He’s in for a shock when he finds out that’s not going to get him anywhere out here.”
“No, Sanemi, they strip people of all valuable possessions before dumping them. Gyomei’s beads and my hairpin are the most valuable thing anyone’s been allowed to keep. Haven’t you ever listened to the Kakushi? They’re always reminiscing about old things. This one girl had a bracelet passed down in her family for generations taken from her. Anyone who had money had it taken away.”
“What do I care about Kakushi nonsense? And it’s lot like gold is any use out here anyway. Those idiots trade with nuts and berries.”
The girl took in a slow breath, and even from this angle Tengen could tell that her exasperation was intense. “Sanemi, how does he have his gold and jewels if everyone gets stripped before being banished?”
She’s smart to be piecing that together before ever meeting me, Tengen thought. Sharp mind.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been over there. Maybe he bribed the guards? Maybe his family helped. Who the heck cares.”
Well that was interesting. Never been over there? As in, never been over the wall? That must be why he know where other people are. This is the guy he needs.
Tengen decided to save them, or rather Shinazugawa, from any more riddles.
“You know, I’m rather offended you’re assuming I got banished. You could just ask how I got my gold and jewels, but it might be a bit much for you commoners to comprehend.”
The shing of metal, and then there were two blades pointed at him. Not that he was close enough for them to do anything. Or try to do anything.
~*~
Shinobu’s heart raced at the suddenness of this encounter. It was like he appeared from nothing. One moment, it was just her and Sanemi. The next, there was this man standing confidently in the sunlight talking as if he’d been there the whole time.
Sanemi wasn’t kidding when he said he was covered in gold and jewels. He had gold bands around his biceps, and gold bangles at his wrists. A silver headband had large, light pink gems embedded on it and tassels made of small blue crystals. His tunic was a mauve purple, and a deep purple scarf was resting around his neck.
What Sanemi failed to mention was that he was basically built out of muscle. He was tall, broad, and proud. Gyomei was definitely taller and more muscular, but he was both an anomaly of a man and humble, so ‘muscular’ wasn’t the first thing that came to mind when seeing him.
People didn’t just get born with bodies like this, they had to work for it. Sanemi worked for it every day, (despite how many times she told him rest also mattered for building a strong body) yet he looked merely average next to this guy.
“I suppose the only other option would be that you left the wall of your own choice,” Shinobu said. “But I don’t see how or why you’d want to do that.” She sheathed her blade. Despite the startled he’d given them, Shinobu didn’t feel like he was a threat. She had no doubt he could be, but he was choosing to approach them rather than continue to spy on them. Eavesdropping may be rude, but it’s also smart when you don’t know someone.
Sanemi did not lower his sword. A vein was bulging in his neck, and Shinobu realized that maybe she should’ve kept her sword out in case he does something stupid.
“What makes you sure I’m not from outside the wall?”
“You aren’t from outside the wall,” Sanemi said, anger turning his voice gravely. “No one from outside the wall would’ve made it this far if they were as big of an idiot as you.”
Shinobu rolled her eyes. “If you were asking about where to find a settlement, then it means you’re not from outside the wall. So who are you, why are you here, and what do you want?”
“What, you introduced me to your little lady yet Shinazugawa?”
One, two, oh dear three. There were three veins visible on Sanemi’s neck now. “I wasn’t actually paying attention when you told me.”
“I’m not his ‘little lady,” Shinobu corrected. “My name his Kocho Shinobu.”
“I am Uzui Tengen, Master Shinobi, the God of Spectacle, and the Flashiest Man you will ever meet.”
I don’t doubt that.
“And how did you come to this side of the wall Mr. Uzui? Sanemi, put your sword away, you’ll crack a knuckle.”
Sanemi did not put his sword away, but he did force himself to let go of a bit of his tension.
“Like I said, I’m a master shinobi. I can’t say getting past the wall was easy, but it wasn’t impossible for an expert like me.”
“So you lived in paradise, and decided to just up and leave?” Sanemi said. “You really are an idiot.”
At this, Uzui’s expression darkened. “What I come from was far from paradise.” Then the darkness was gone. “On the contrary, paradise is what I have come to find. See, me and my girls are in a difficult situation back home, so I’m here to find us a better life.”
Despite all his bluster, Shinobu felt like he was speaking truly on this. He wasn’t telling much, but he was telling enough to extend a branch of honesty.
“I’m sorry to tell you, but you aren’t going to find paradise on this side of the wall. The demons out here make that impossible. You’re best option would be to sneak your way back inside the wall and return to your girls. There’s nothing for them out here.”
“That’s not really an option,” Uzui said. “My girls are kunai, so they’ll be fine on their own for without me, but I left behind someone who is not happy with me. If I go back, I’ll be putting them in more danger. I’d bring them here, but the demon thing is definitely a problem. I ran into a few last night.”
And survived, Shinobu thought. She spared a glance at Sanemi, but he was too busy glowering to acknowledge the significance of that.
“Most people end up devoured when they meet a demon,” she said.
“Most people aren’t shinobi,” Uzui pointed out.
“Mm. Leaving your daughters inside the wall is definitely the right thing to do. If you can’t go back, then you could try to make a life out here, but there isn’t much to be had. Perhaps you could-”
“Daughters? How old do you think I am?” His affronted expression looked genuine. “I’m talking about my wives. There’s no way I can be separated from them for more than a couple years. And I’ll be in contact with them the entire time.”
“Wives? As in plural?” Sanemi’s nose wrinkled. “That’s disgusting.”
“That’s family tradition,” Uzui said coldly. “I’ve answered your questions, so now I want you to answer mine. First of all, who is the man in the house?”
Surprised, Shinobu looked back to see if Gyomei was at the front door. He’d gone to sleep two hours ago, and while she wouldn’t be surprised if he woke up from this, it would be unlike him to remain silent. But Gyomei wasn’t there. Uzui should have no way of knowing-
“Like I said, I have good hearing. There’s definitely someone else here, someone on the lager side. Am I right?”
Sanemi snorted. “On the larger side’ is an understatement. Gyomei-“
“Wouldn’t appreciate you bragging on his behalf,” Shinobu cut in. “Himejima Gyomei is the man who took me in when I was abandoned out here. He used to server at a temple orphanage.” You don’t need to worry about him. “He’ll likely wake around lunch time if you wish to speak with him, he’s been out here longer than either of us.”
“I might,” Uzui said. “Second question: what is a dragonborn? You two don’t seem like the demons, but you aren’t human either.”
Ah. Shinobu has rescued a couple people before, and of course they were always concerned about the horns. Simple reassurance and a brief explanation was always enough to placate them, but it was still odd being nonhuman. Thanks to Gyomei she’d known she was dragonborn for a long time, but now she was starting to deal with the side effects of that.
“Not any of your business,” Sanemi said.
“It is his business if he’s out here,” Shinobu said. “Yes, we are what the people out here call-“
“We don’t need to tell him anything,” Sanemi said. "We don’t owe him answers.” He said to Uzui, “We’ve told you everything you need to know, now get out of our business. I don’t care what you do, so long as it doesn’t involve us.”
Sanemi then tried to grab Shinobu by the shoulders and physically guide her away.
… On what plane of existence does he think that would ever be okay? Shinobu ducked out of the way.
“Sanemi, stop being a petty wimp just because Uzui startled you. Or are you just grumpy because it’s past your bedtime? Either way, you need to remember your manners.” Not that he’s ever had any, she added privately to herself.
Shinobu gave him her sweetest smile as Sanemi froze up, visibly debating how to let out his fury without physically hitting her. She knew he never would.
“What we are is not a secret, it never has been. If you don’t like Uzui, you don’t have to stick around. But do go cool off.”
“Tch, like I’m leaving him with you.”
“If he wanted to do anything, he would have tried it when we didn’t know he was here. Go.”
Sanemi did. To the porch. Where he sheathed his sword, sat down, and glowered and Uzui. Good enough.
Uzui whistled. “Little lady has some sass.”
“Oh I have more than sass, and if you call me ‘little lady’ again you’ll find out just how painful a needle can be. Kocho is fine.”
“Yes ma’am.” Uzui’s grin as he said that mad Shinobu start to see Sanemi’s side of things. Unlike him, she was capable of ignoring it.
“As I was saying, yes we are what they call dragonborn. People born with the breath of a dragon. We are the counterbalance to demons, their natural enemy.” She reached up to touch her horns. “We… don’t know everything about it yet. How long it will take to fully transform. We just know that we are fated to become dragons, just as some people are fated to become demons. That’s it, really.”
Uzui contemplated this information for a moment, then he nodded. “Alright, that’s all I wanted to know.”
Shinobu was surprised. “That’s all?”
“It makes about as much sense as anything else out here, but I saw your friend there flying so I know you’re telling the truth. And that’s all I need right now. Unless you happen to have a map?”
Shinobu smiled.
~*~
Tengen sat in the branches of a giant cedar as dusk fell.
Things were a mess.
As he drew in a breath, he shivered, and honestly he didn’t know if he could claim it was from the autumn chill.
When he left, he hadn’t expected to find people. He was ready for a barren world. That would have been great. Civilization would have been great as well, but that’s not what they needed.
He’d heard the legends of course, the rumors old people passed down. The world outside was one of monsters. Not once had he considered that that could be the truth.
Shit. Outside was the best chance they had, and now that was impossible. There was no way he was bringing Suma, Makio, and Hinatsuru out here.
But back home wasn’t much better. Places to hide were few, especially from the Uzui clan. He was relying on the girls’ cleverness and his father prioritizing him over them, but that would only last so long. They needed to get out, but out here was not the life he wanted to give to his girls.
He promised them he would find them a paradise. Somewhere where they can live for themselves.
There was a shift in the forest’s rhythm that caught Tengen’s attention. He focused in on the sound, and determined there was definitely some sort of scuffle happening.
He was already sitting up to investigate when a scream pierced the night.
Tengen’s body was moving before his conscious mind could deliberate the action. It wasn’t far, only a couple miles, but failing to cross that distance in under a minute could have irreversible consequences.
As soon as he saw the demon, Tengen leaped off a tree and swung his right sword in a full ark, twisting his entire body to but as much force behind it as possible.
The blade shattered on the demon’s back.
Tengen had to kick off the demon into a backflip to land cleanly. A few shards of silver steal had embedded into the creature’s hide, but most of his sword was in pieces on the ground.
He felt unbalanced with only the left blade.
The demon was massive, eight feet tall with a broad, hunched back. When it turned to look at him, it’s small head and yellow eyes glared.
At the demon’s feet was a kid around Kocho’s age, covering a gash on his shoulder. The demon must have been startled into dropping him, that’s good. But the kid was a moment’s swipe away from being killed.
Tengen pointed his blade at the demon. “You like eating human’s right? Stop wasting your time on that runt and come get a tase of me!”
He tossed three shuriken. Two of them bounced of the demon, one stuck to his chest. Tengen had practiced throwing those into ironwood walls to maximize the strength of his throw. This demon had seriously thick skin.
“He, he,” the demon slowly laughed. He brushed away the shuriken with a lazy hand. “You are strong.” As he’d hoped, the demon took a step to fully face Tengen. “You smell good… unlike forest rats.”
“I do try to maintain a level of hygiene superior to that of a rat,” Tengen said.
The kid had the sense to crawl away from the distracted demon, scooting back while keeping it in his sight.
“Never seen one like you… you will make me strong when I eat you.”
“No offence, but you honestly look like you should go on a diet. I’m not sure a specimen of my caliber is going to do you any favors.” Tengen doubted it was even listening to what he was saying. The demon had a manic grin and a hungry look in its eyes, like a crime boss presented with a chest of gold.
It began to lumber toward him, unhurried in it’s movement.
That put enough distance between it and the kid for him to scramble out of range. The kid rushed to pick something off the ground, a white mask in the shape a of a fox, and ran.
Not much of a thank you, but definitely the sensible thing to do.
Now all he had to do was figure out how to kill a monster with skin thick enough to break steel.
It lunged before Tengen expected it to, jumping three yards forward while spreading it’s arms out like he was about to hug him. The beast had impressive range with its arms, but it was not nearly fast enough to catch him.
Tengen ducked under its armpit, slashing at its side as he went. The blade deflected, but didn’t break.
The demon staggered as it tried to track what happened, looking a round before having the sense to turn around. Tengen was already throwing a fresh barrage of shuriken, though only two of them stuck.
“Can’t hurt me,” the demon said. “Nothing can hurt me. Other demons try, then they die.” He lifted one of his short legs and slammed it to the ground, sending a tremor through the earth.
“You sound like you have a thick head too, bet you couldn’t crack open a book.” Tengen danced around a tree as the demon swiped at him. The tree’s bark exploded into splinters, half the trunk sheered off.
“I can crack open anything!” The demon charged at him again. It was like fighting a bolder, slow to move but dangerous once it’s momentum built up. And child’s play to dodge.
Tengen entertained it for a while, staying close enough to it that it thought it had a chance of reaching him while aggravating it with small strikes and thrown pebbles. He listened to every sound the beast made, the tendon snap in its legs before it jumped, the huff in in it’s breath when it started to swipe, the reluctance in his joints when he moved too fast.
When Shinobu showed him her map, she also told Tengen a few things about demons. They could only die to sunlight, dragon claws, or a special metal called nichirin. They also grow stronger based on how many humans they eat, and each time a demon eats a human they are able to put energy into morphing their power. Once a demon has enough power, they can cast spells called blood art.
This one has clearly put all its kills toward building its bulk, and for as slow witted as the creature was its tactic wasn’t bad. If he was understanding Shinobu correctly, demons fought over territory constantly. That must be what he meant when he said ‘other demons try,’ he doesn’t have to maintain a territory if other demons can’t run him off.
But putting so much into a large body and thick skin had drawbacks, drawbacks that manifested in increasingly predictable patterns. This demon was slow, and he had poor aim. Even an ordinary person who had the sense to weave around the trees would be able to escape him.
Tengen was able to piece together this demon’s hunting style from the shape and color of it’s back. Hunched, lopsided, and grey. If this demon were to lay on the ground, it’d look an awful lot like a bolder.
I must be one heck of a treat if an ambush predator is putting up such a pursuit, Tengen thought. Not that I can blame him, I doubt he’s ever come across someone as flamboyant as me.
He had this thing figured out. When he rolled left, he knew exactly what the demon would do three beats before it moved. Grotesque as it was, the demon had a rhythm that could be read like a song.
Now for how to kill it. Tengen could escape it just fine, but something about leaving the creature to continue to roam the night repulsed him. He didn’t want this thing to live.
He did not have any nichirin, and he was not a dragonborn. That meant his last option was sunlight, which was approximately nine hours away at the moment.
He had to find a way to trap and restrain it for nine hours, and make sure it would be exposed to sunlight.
Continuing to tease it to wait out the hours was an option, but he couldn’t trust that the demon wouldn’t grow bored or figure out what he was doing. It was also a very unflashy waste of time that Tengen wouldn’t stand.
Tengen skirted around another tree, letting it take the blow meant for him.
He ran through some ideas on what to do, the same problem kept coming up: this demon was strong enough to break out of just about anything. Restraints wouldn’t work. The best thing he’d come up with was knowing one of the damaged trees onto him, but that wouldn’t hold for nine hours.
As Tengen contemplated, he heard a change in the demon’s rhythm. Their playfight had drifted somewhat, and a rotting log lay between him and the demon. It wasn’t more that a foot high obstacle, but the demon was clumsy as it stepped over it.
This thing isn’t just slow, it can’t climb. That’s the trick.
Pulling this off would be a dangerous game, but Tengen lived for the challenge.
He started to map out the zone he wanted, making sure there would be no gaps. He’d have to go from the outside in.
Once he was satisfied with the plan, Tengen let the demon get closer with his strikes.
“You aren’t going to give up, are you?” Tengen panted as though he were growing tired.
“Humans are weak,” the demon said. “No stamina. I can chase all night, you cannot. You will die.”
Tengen heard the demon’s muscles tense, and he ducked around a tree. This was small enough that when the demon swiped at it, the whole thing tipped. The wood that remained wasn’t enough to support it, and after a few moments of creaking as though the tree had a death cry, it fell. Branches snapped as the thick boughs splayed around them.
The demon was unconcerned about the fallen tree, he followed Tengen as he fenced to the left. This tree was twice as thick as the last, and though the demon’s claws ripped much of it away the tree stayed strong.
So Tengen did the reasonable thing and climbed it.
The demon let out a displeased roar as he escaped its reach. “No climbing! Cheater! It won’t work.”
It grabbed the tree by the damaged trunk and yanked.
Kr-Kr-Krrrrggrake!
Tengen jumped into a neighboring tree as the other fell. As fun as it would be to ride all the way down, shattered wood was bad news.
The demon did not wait to begin attacking the new tree, making it shudder than tilt. “No tree can protect you, I’m too strong.”
Indeed, no tree was too big for this demon to topple. Tengen kept switching between dancing around him on the ground to get him to knock over the smaller ones to tree hopping through the larger ones. Before long, they’d circled back around to where the first one lay.
At this point, Tengen actually was getting tired. A little bit. But he kept up the game, guiding the demon inward. The demon’s single-minded desire to devour him was the only reason his plan was working as well as it did. If this was the standard intelligence level for a demon, dealing with them might not be too bad.
Trees fell on top of each other, creating a latticework of branches, leaves, and needles. Every tree in the twenty foot radius Tengen had chosen was doomed, but so was the demon destroying them.
At this point, the terrain was getting to be a pain for him as well, but he succeeded in dodging one last time.
“See?” The demon declared in triumph. “No more trees. No more hiding.”
“Well, darn, I guess you’re right.” Tengen jumped up on one of the sacrificed trees. “Guess, I might as well give up then.” He squatted onto his heels and draped his arms over his knees.
The demon lunged, but it’s forward jump was stopped short. Its face contorted in confusion, and it looked down to notice the mess or branches holding it away from the trunk.
With a snarl, the demon began tearing them away, ripping one and tossing it behind him, then swiping another. They broke easily, but they succeeded in making the demon stager toward him at an embarrassingly slow pace.
“What’s the matter? I’m right here. All warn out, can’t move a muscle.”
The jagged ends where the branches snapped dug into the demon’s belly as it reached for him with a gargled growl. They did nothing to draw blood, but they did seem to snag him enough that he could force his way through. His two hands came down three inches from Tengen’s feet, pulling the bark away but leaving the trunk whole.
“Well, if you insist you aren’t going to eat me, I guess I can manage to make my way home. Have fun finding your way out of this.” He stood and admired his handy work.
Dozens of trees lay in a tangled matt, a cage of logs and branches. Some were only a foot thick, others were nearly three. If the demon had enough time, it would surely break its way through. But now it only had five hours, and there was teen feet of this in every direction.
He watched the demon struggle for a few moments longer, froth forming at the corners of its mouth as it gnashed its teeth. Truly repulsive.
Tengen turned, and that was a mistake. Pain jolted through his back just under his right shoulder blade, dangerously close to his spine. He glanced behind him in time to see the demon with its arm reeled back, and jagged branch was then hurling toward him at an alarming speed.
He dodged it, then ran.
Damnit. He’d grown complacent and stopped paying attention to the demon’s rhythm. He heard the shift, and he hadn’t acknowledged it. Now his back was on fire.
He heard the wail of the demon as he disappeared from its line of sight in a matter of seconds. Now past the danger zone, with the fallen trees barely in sight, Tengen stopped to reach behind him and feel the damage.
A large piece of wood was lodged in his back, disrupting some rather important muscles. Every instinct in him begged to yank it out, but he didn’t. Without being able to see it, he couldn’t determine how much worse he would make the wound if he did that.
“He, he, he, he, he!”
Tengen’s head snapped up. There were demons approaching, trilling laughs as the closed in. By their sound, three of them. Two above, one on the ground. No, there was a fourth on the ground, slinking like a slug so it’s sound didn’t stand out right away.
I can’t fight them, Tengen realized with a chill. His wound wasn’t a deadly one, but it was going to make dispatching a hoard of demons that he physically couldn’t kill a nightmare. One were there was a high chance he’d end up dead.
Tengen couldn’t die, he wouldn’t do that to his wives.
So he ran. Red edged his vision as the pain in his back flared, but Tengen was a professional at ignoring pain. Or rather, pain was beaten into him at such an early age that Tengen has adapted an effectively muted response to the pain.
The demons were not anywhere near as fast as him, but as much as he hated to admit it Tengen was loosing stamina. He’d spent hours trapping the one goliath without rest, and hasn’t slept since leaving the wall. Fatigue was catching up with him.
There was only one place where he could run and have a chance of surviving.
Shinobu looked rightly surprised as he staggered into the clearing in front of her home.
“Hey, so sorry to be disturbing you again so soon. Your green-horned friend wouldn’t happen to be around, would he?” His breathing was labored, and he felt his muscles shaking.
There were more than four demons behind him now, and one whooped a laugh.
Shinobu’s expression hardened. “I see. He is not, but I can handle this mess.”
Her blade came out like a little needle in the moonlight, purple to match her horns. It was a bizarre little weapon, almost like a stinger.
She dashed forward and stabbed the first demon to jump down. She did not have the strength to do more than dig the tip under its skin before dancing away. The demon turned to see what had poked it, then it gagged. It stared to claw at its neck, then collapsed to the ground.
Tengen had no idea what happened, but the sound of the demon’s body movements stopped. It was dead.
“Have a seat on that bench over there,” Shinobu instructed. “Try not to move once you do, you’ll only tear up your back even more.” She stabbed the next demon as it attacked, form graceful as she hit it twice. “This will only take a moment.”
He was admittedly impressed by the girls handy work. She had absolutely no upper body strength, but she was light and fast. He small form let her move as elegantly as a butterfly, and all it took was a single scratch from her blade to drop every demon.
It only lasted five minutes, and at the end Shinobu was panting and six demons lay dead around her. “You managed to attract quite the audience,” she commented.
“Yeah, well, gods are known to have followers.” Then he realized he should also add, “Thank you.” He had a lot of pride in his skill, but ever since getting married three years ago Tengen had learned to value a woman’s contribution.
Not that he could call Shinobu a woman yet, she had to be in her early teens. At most. With how tiny she was, she could probably pass as a nine or ten year old, though her sharp smile contradicted that.
“You’re lucky I was staying here tonight,” Shinobu said. “Stay there while I get my supplies. You don’t have to worry about any more demons showing up, Gyomei and Sanemi keep this area clear.” She dipped inside the house, leaving the front door ajar.
For the first time that night, things felt still. The sounds of night animals and cicadas made for a much better backdrop of noise than the laughs and shrieks of demons.
He wondered what happened to that kid with the fox mask, he never got a chance to check and see if he made it somewhere safe.
Shinobu returned with a basket on her arm and a clay mug in her hand. “Drink this,” she instructed.
Steam wafted from the cup, and once it was under his nose he caught a repulsive scent. “Nah, that’s alright. I’m pretty good at handling pain.” He held it back to her.
“That wasn’t a request,” Shinobu said. Her voice and smile were sweet, but Tengen could sense the ire behind that light tone. Like the sound of a sharpening knife behind a lullaby.
He debated for a bit too long on whether or not to comply, because there was a sudden spike in pain on his back. He hadn’t even noticed her move back there. “Ow!” Tengen complained.
“Oh? I thought you were good at handling pain?”
“You did that on purpose!”
“Did I?” Now that smile was getting to be insufferable. The message was clear: If you want me to place nice, follow my rules.
Tengen forced himself to drink the medicinal tea. It tasted awful, but truthfully, he’s had worse.
“It’ll take about ten minutes to really set it,” Shinobu said, “so I’m just going to clean around the wound for now. How did you manage to get this?”
He filled her in on what happened with the large demon.
“That’s not half bad,” she said. “Stupid, you should have left it alone once the kid was safe, but not a bad strategy.”
Her touch was light and gentle as she set to work. Tengen could feel the tingle of the herb mixture as it moved through him. He’d trained from the age of three to tolerate various positions, and that came with the side effect of making many medicines less effective. But this was definitely doing something.
“So you use poison to kill demons, right?” Tengen asked after the silence had carried on for a while.
“I do,” Shinobu said. “I know I’m not strong like Sanemi or Gyomei or- But I need to defend myself all the same. I’m a dragonborn, so I have a duty to the people of this forest.”
“You have a duty to them? I thought dragons were simply capable of killing demons, not obligated to.”
“Dragons are the counterbalance to demons. I think we are obligated.”
“You shouldn’t feel obligated because of something you were born into. You didn’t choose to be a dragonborn.”
He felt her pause briefly. “It’s not really obligation that makes me want to kill them,” she admitted. “And it’s not just survival either. Demons have hurt me in a way that can never be taken back. I can’t forgive them.”
Ah. “I can’t say I’ve had anything personal against them up until tonight,” Tengen said. “But I do think I’d like this place better without them.”
Shinobu hummed her agreement. From the corner of his eye, he say her pull something from the basket.
“You don’t suppose it’s possible to wipe them out, do you?”
“I... I’ve never thought of that,” Shinobu said. “There’s so many… even with dragons like Master Kagaya and Lady Amane. And you saw my map, we haven’t even explored the whole north side of the wall.”
He felt a tugging sensation at his back, accompanied by a sting.
“Who are Kagaya and Amane?” He asked. He was grateful for the conversation as a distraction.
“They are the dragons that have been guiding us. Real dragons, like the ones painted in palaces. They live at a temple on Mt. Fujisaki.”
He knew the kind of paintings Shinobu was talking about. Long, gold, sprawling creatures. Snake-like, cat-like, and noble all in one. It was hard to imagine seeing one in the flesh, even with a girl who had horns just behind him.
“Do they fight the demons every night too?”
“In a way. Amane guards the temple of Mt. Fujisaki and tends to the wisteria on the mountain. Master Kagaya helps the people here find their strength, but he does not fight their battles for them.”
“As I said, a dragon is not obligated to fight just because they can,” Tengen said. “If I were a dragon, I’d enjoy life up in the clouds not having to worry about anythin.”
“It’s not like that,” the edge in her voice returned. “Kagaya is wise. He taught Gyomei a very important lesson about life out here: If people depend on you entirely, they are doomed to die. It’s why we live separately from humans, they can’t return the support we give them.”
“Don’t feel guilty about that,” Tengen said. “You have to be able to live for yourself, and for the people who care about you. That’s what I believe.”
The crying bark of a fox sounded through the night.
“Is that what you are doing out here? Living for yourself?” Shinobu asked. Something wet pressed against his skin.
“Something like that,” Tengen admitted. “The truth is, I sort of lied when I said I was a master shinobi. The truth is, I’m a former shinobi. I didn’t choose to be one, I was born into it. And I had to watch my siblings die because of that.” And more.
Shinobu froze, and Tengen could feel her tension. He heard her heartbeat pick up. Something he said must have triggered something in her, and he wasn’t sure if that was bad or not.
“It’s a bit selfish, really,” he said. “I want an out for me and my wives. My clan will be weakened because of that.”
She was pulling out splinters again.
“Besides, do you have any idea of drab it is to live as a shinobi? I’m telling you, its always pure black clothing, no accessories, and always so damn quiet. That’s just not my style, I much prefer to live flamboyantly.”
“You have definitely proven yourself flamboyant,” Shinobu said.
Tengen heard someone approaching, surprisingly close for him only now to notice. His fatigue must be really getting to him. That, or Shinobu’s concoction was much stronger than he realized.
“Someone’s coming,” he told her. “I think he’s human.”
“That must be Gyomei, he planned on coming back early tonight.” She called out, “Gyomei! Come and meet our new guest! Also, I could use a hand holding him down so I can get this big piece out.”
“Ah, is this the one who had Sanemi’s tail all twisted?” There was mirth in his deep voice. When the young man stepped into view, Tengen was truly surprised.
“Uzui, this is Himejima Gyomei. Gyomei, this is Uzui Tengen. He ran into a bit of trouble with demons and had the sense to come to me.”
Himejima was massive. Tengen had only ever met one person taller that himself, and that was his father. But Himejima put his father to shame. It was hard to believe that a person of this size could even exist.
His other features that stood out were the short grey horns poking out of his hair, bright red beads around his neck and his hands, and his milky white eyes. Those eyes were staring straight at Tengen with a piercing intensity, but not in a harsh way.
“Gyomei?” Shinobu questioned. There was a waiver to her voice, the first time Tengen has heard a faulter in her confident act.
“He’s a dragonborn,” Himejima said somberly.