What Does Not Kill Me
Hida Yoritoko – called “O-Ushi” almost since she was born – came of age four years before her gempukku ceremony. No one knew save her brother, and he never told a soul.
She used to watch him before he went out, standing at the ramparts of the Great Wall and staring out into the fog-shrouded wasteland beyond. She never bothered him during these meditations, but today was different. It may have been the way the fading light caught his form, or the intensity in his eyes, like one of their legendary ancestors. The time seemed right to ask him.
She crept up behind him softly, her black eyes twinkling. Her sandals were silent in the twilight-soaked stone as her chubby hand reached up to his belt. She snatched his katana from its saya with a snap, and brandished it fiercely in front of her. Yakamo spun around, his contemplation forgotten. Snarling in mock anger, he grabbed the thief by the scruff of her ten-year-old neck and lifted her up to his scowling face. O-Ushi was unperterbed.
“If I was a Scorpion, you’d be dead now,” she beamed at him.
“If you were a Scorpion, I’d break your neck for touching my sword,” he growled. With his free hand, he plucked the katana from her hand and replaced it in his saya. His eyes never left her face.
“And what should we do with this great dishonor you have inflicted upon me?” he asked.
“A duel to the death is the only proper way to erase such a blotch,” she replied with mock solemnity. “Fortunately for you, I’m in a forgiving mood. Let me down, and I won’t have to kill you.”
“Oh, now you are forgiving me? I thank the fortunes my little sister has taken pity on me.” He shook her viciously, then let her drop to his feet with an undignified plop. She glared up at him, anger and mirth flashing in equal proportions across her face.
“I take it back. When you come back from the Shadowlands, I’ll have your head,” she threatened.
“I’m sure you will,” Yakamo’s face broke into a tired smile, and he knelt down to where she lay. “What are you doing up here, O’Ushi? Besides stealing my sword, that is.”
The light dimmed in her eyes and her smile vanished.
“I want to go with you. Into the Shadowlands.”
“Do you?” he said. “And do you know what such a task entails?”
“Sensei says my tsuchi technique is the best he’s seen. And I was quiet enough to take your sword before you saw me.”
“I see. And you believe that strength of arm and fleetness of foot is all you need to face the Fallen God?”
She looked at him silently. He sighed.
“Do you suppose I can do my duty while protecting you at the same time?”
“I can take care of myself.” She was serious now, all traces of her former levity gone. Yakamo watched her face silently for a time, then rose.
“If courage were water, you’d have drowned long ago. Go back to your quarters, O’Ushi. I’ll only be gone a day or so, and I’ll tell you about it when I come back.”
“But I want to go with you.”
“When you’re older, little sister, you’ll think differently. Go, and I won’t tell father you touched Chikara.”
She flinched at the remark, and for a moment, he thought she would launch herself at him. Then she rose to her feet, and bowed curtly before him.
“Hai, Yakamo-sama.”
She ran back the way she had come, her silence trampled by her flapping feet. Yakamo watched her go, then returned his gaze to the ghostly wasteland before him.
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The door to the quartermaster’s storage room opened slowly. O-Ushi peeked in and made a cursory sweep of the room before her. Sacks of grain lay stacked by the walls, flanked by hung strings of dried fish. A score of coarse bedrolls stood rolled up on the far side of the room, while shelves of empty water bottles stared down just within reach. Satisfied she was alone, she crept into the room and began collecting what she needed.
She had dressed conservatively, her dark gray clothes blending in well with the shadows. A pair of short knives were sheathed at her belt and her favorite hammer lay secure across her back. She didn’t think she would need them, not after she reached her brother, but it was best to be prepared. She took a pair of water bottles, reminding herself to fill them at the well before she left. A side of fish came down with a little prodding from her knife, which she placed in one of the bedrolls.
She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind her. Spinning around, she tensed her arms as a hunched figure stepped into the room. The man’s eyes widened at O-Ushi’s slight form, and the girl relaxed as she recognized him as Quartermaster Kaiu Rioto.
“Hida O-Ushi!” he scolded. “What do you think you are doing, creeping around my storeroom like a rat!?”
“It is of no concern of yours, little clerk,” she drew herself up to her full height and glared at him fiercely.
“You impertinent whelp,” Rioto hissed. “I should tan your backside for speaking to me like that.”
“I need a finger of jade,” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Where do you keep them?”
“Get out!” he shouted. “Get out and be thankful that I don’t bring you before the daimyo!”
O-Ushi stopped and fixed him with a clear and unwavering gaze.
“The daimyo is my father,” she spoke evenly. “And he would be displeased if he discovered one of his quartermasters selling supplies to cover gambling debts.”
Rioto started with disbelief.
“What…what are you talking about?”
“Call it blackmail if you want.” She gave him a sunny smile. “I heard it from the Yasuki. One finger of jade, little clerk, or I’ll make you wish they had thrown you to the goblins.”
The Kaiu began to sputter. “You….”
“Are the daughter of Hida Kisada, and not given to idle banter. The jade. Now.”
He gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. O-Ushi glared back at him, and turned around as if to leave. That settled it. The color drained out of Rioto’s face, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Reaching behind a pile of sacks, he produced a stoutly locked iron box. He fumbled with the catch for a minute, then opened it with a snap and produced a thick wand of creamy green. Eldritch symbols had been carved into its side, and as O-Ushi took it, it seemed to her that it almost glowed with power. Her dark eyes glittered and she bowed low before the quartermaster.
“Domo arigato, little clerk. This can stay our secret, yes?”
She scampered out the door with a snicker and almost laughed aloud as the Kaiu slammed it shut behind her.
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The moon shone bright across the River of the Last Stand as O-Ushi emerged from the bushes on the southern bnk. The tunnel had led straight through beneath the waters, as she had known. The Kaiu engineers would throw fits if they knew that a ten-year-old had found one of their secret passages. She turned and looked back at the Kaiu Wall, rising like a mountain on the river’s far side. Lanterns twinkled across its top, marking the sentries who stood watching for signs of attack. Very cautiously, she raised her arm and flashed a hand signal back to the guards. If they spotted her, she wanted them to think she was a Hiruma scout lest they riddle her with arrows before she had gone a yard. She got no response from the wall; if they saw her they weren’t letting her know. She stared hard at them for a few more minutes, then scurried away into the underbrush.
She moved cautiously at first, taking care to remain quiet. Here, with the wall practically within sight, it seemed almost silly. She had been raised on tales of the Shadowlands, on the way the landscape seemed to come to terrible life around you. She saw none of that here. Beneath the silver moon, the trees and bushes looked no different than those she played in around Hida castle. Tehw ind did not shake their branches nor did any small animals rustle through their leaves, but that was all. For a kingdom of ultimate evil, it seemed a bit disappointing. Still, she had no intention of being caught, and disguised her movements accordingly.
She located Yakamo’s path within an hour. Her brother’s heavy footsteps marked the mud like a road sige, and the two men who traveled with him made no pretense of hiding their tracks either. They followed what appeared to be a well-laid track, beaten from many other, smaller footprints. Combined with the moonlight, it made following them childishly simple.
The night moved towards morning as O-Ushi traveled on. The footprints moved steadily south, deeper and deeper into Fu Leng’s Realm. The landscape changed subtly as she went along, so subtly she almost didn’t’ notice. The trees took on ominous forms, their branches reaching silently across her path. The sounds of the night slowly returned, but they had an unnatural cadense to them – as if they were trying to sound ordinary but not quite succeeding. Although the path she followed remained clear, the ground beneath it had taken on an odd hue, almost like rotting flesh. The moon went down and utter darkness set in; O-Ushi realized that she had brought no form of light and while she could feel footprints beneath her fingers, she could barely make them out amid the dim starlight. Suddenly, she wanted to find Yakamo very quickly.
She began to hurry along the trail, now very conscious of the noise her movements made. The twitterings in the dark became louder as hints of grey streaked the sky to the east, now seeming to close in on her location. She moved to a trot, then a run, no longer watching where she ran. She thought of tugging her hammer free from her back, but couldn’t reach it at a full sprint. The noise came louder, this time appearing in front of her. She set her teeth and continued to run, refusing to move from her brother’s path. She did not notice that the light was growing brighter, and was unaware of the battle until she skidded headlong into it.
The clearing was lit by Yakamo’s sword, burning jade fire into the early morning air. He grasped the ancestral weapon easily in his huge right fist, while spinning his tetsubo one-handed in his left. A pair of bushi flanked him in a triangular pattern, keeping their foes from circling around behind them.
They were surrounded by a mob of goblins, some thirty or more swarming into the clearing. The goblins held rusty weapons and sharpened sticks in their clawed hands, and seemed to disregard their opponents’ obvious prowess. They leapt towards the nearest samurai in a wave, burying him beneath the force of their numbers. His knees buckled under the weight, even as he cleaved his foes in half. He stumbled, then fell backwards with a shout as the goblins overwhelmed him. They took no notice of Yakamo, who swung his weapons with practiced ease in an effort to dislodge them from his comrade.
O-Ushi’s hammer was in her hands almost before she could think. Her fear forgotten, she uttered a high-pitched war-cry and leapt into the fight. The first goblin never saw her coming; she caught it behind the ear with a wet cracking sound. It uttered a surprised bark as it flopped sideways, the blow spinning it like a top.
“O-Ushi!” Yakamo’s surprised yell echoed across the clearing. The goblins, apparently finished with the fallen bushi, now turned their attention to the new combatant. With a universal hiss, they sprang up and charged towards the young girl. Her eyes widened as she raised her hammer and prepared another blow.
It never fell. With a monstrous jerk, Yakamo grasped his sister’s collar and pulled her behind him. The surge of goblins crashed and broke against his armor. He swayed slightly, but did not fall; his lips curled in a snarl as he swung his tetsubo with blinding speed. The force of goblins shattered under his blows, the mob breaking into panicked groups of three or four. One goblin caught the full force of his blow, and flew backwards like a shattered kite. Another managed to grasp the tetsubo’s spiked tip, and tried valiantly to shake it loose from its owner. It too went flying, landing on the packed earth with a meaty thud. Yakamo’s remaining comrade took advantage of the distraction to slice a pair of goblins in two. They never saw the blade which killed them.
Sensing the battle was turning, Yakamo shifted his stance and redrew his katana. The jade symbols carved into it blazed anew, searching for foes to destroy. The sight of it was more than enough for the remaining goblins. They turned and fled, ignoring their brethren’s dying cries in a desperate attempt to escape. The two samurai ran the stragglers down mercilessly. The goblins’ shrieks had soon diminished to one or two rapidly quieting voices. With a satisfied grunt, Yakamo returned to the clearing.
O-Ushi watched it all with rapt attention, her eyes lit with excitement. She had killed a goblin at her brother’s side! Her fear and anxiety were forgotten, replaced with the flush of victory and the pride of accomplishment. She smiled broadly as her brother tramped back into view, and prepared to welcome him.
Her words faltered, however, when she saw the look on Yakamo’s face. He gave her a black scowl that drained her emotions dry. He nodded to the other bushi, who walked silently up behind them.
“Go back to the wall, Koshi. Tell them that the goblins of Mura Shunobi are no longer a problem. We will remain here and tend to the remains.”
The samurai bowed and turned to go.
“And Koshi…” Yakmo called after him. “Make no mention of my sister to anyone. Understand?”
“Hai, Yakamo-sama.” Without further word, he was off.
Yakamo knelt by the body of his fallen comrade and examined it closely. O-Ushi wanted to see what he was doing, but couldn’t bring herself to approach him. His calm hid a hurricane. After a time, he grasped the dead man’s daisho and pulled it free. Finally, he rose and strode towards her, closing the distance between them with alarming speed.
“Come here, O-Ushi,” he gestured softly. There was no disobeying him. “I want you to sit here and watch the body with me.”
“You want…”
“Sit down, O-Ushi. Right. Now.” She dropped instantly. He wiped the blood from his sword and sheathed it before kneeling down beside her. The fallen samurai’s body lay in front of them, surrounded by shattered goblins. It had been pierced in five or six places, the gaping holes leaked blood which slowly began to pool around him. It didn’t bother O-Ushi tremendously; she had seen men die before. Something in her brother’s tone, however, suggested a greater solemnity than the situation seemed to warrant. She hugged her knees and waited for Yakamo to pronounce judgement.
They sat in silence for a long time, as the grey in the east continued to brighten. She dared not utter a word and he showed no inclination to speak either. They watched the body quietly while flies gathered around the corpses.
“Did you bring any jade with you?” he asked at last. She held the stone up. “Good. You’re less of a fool than I thought.”
She said nothing.
“What were you doing, O-Ushi? What did you think you would accomplish with this display?”
“I—I wanted to show you how strong I was.”
“By throwing your life away?! Strength of arms and physical power are not enough to sway our foe, O-Ushi. The Shadowlands will not rest until they have snatched our souls and twisted our bodies to serve their whims. If you had not found us, it would have swallowed you whole.”
“But I did find you…”
“And were almost killed in the process! We are less than six hours from the Kaiu Wall – what you saw today is nothing. Further south lie horrors you can scarcely imagine, O-Ushi; creatures whose foulness corrupts the very air they breathe. If you cannot handle a small band of goblins, what chance have you against one of them?”
She was quiet for a moment, then spoke again.
“But I can never meet that challenge until I can face these smaller ones.”
“You are not ready to face these smaller ones, sister. A Crab is brave, but also wise. He does not throw his strength away on useless displays of courage. Whom would you have benefited if you had died? Who would know or cared if you bartered your life so cheaply?”
She remained silent as the words suck in.
“I want you to watch,” he continued. “And we will see if you are ready.”
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Morning dawned, cold and misty, the sun hidden beneath the clouds. The flies had landed in great swarms, feasting merrily on the dead. The stench would probably attract larger scavengers, and O-Ushi wasn’t sure she wanted to be here when they arrived. Yakamo refused to move, though, staring stonily ahead at the fallen bushi.
Suddenly, his arm shot out, and he pointed his finger at the rising cloud of flies.
“There!”
The samurai’s body began to shudder. Its limbs twitched and its neck creaked upwards as a low moan escaped its lips. Blackened blood trickled out of its mouth, matching the still-gaping wounds in its chest and belly. O-Ushi repressed the urge to scream and gripped her hammer tightly. The corpse planted its hands in the dirt and began to rise, its groans raising the hair on the back of her neck. It lurched to its feet and looked around dully as its glazed eyes settled on the two Hida. It opened its mouth in ahideous scream and began to shamble towards them.
“Kill it,” Yakamo stated flatly. She hesitated.
“Kill it now, O-Ushi!”
The steel in her brother’s voice egged her on. Clenching her fists around the handle of the hammer, she uttered what she hoped was a harrowing cry and ran towards the walking dead. Her first blow struck it square in the chest, knocking it backwards and leaving a flat impression where it connected. Moving quickly now, O-Ushi allowed her training to override the fear which gnawed at her heart. She swung her hammer again, this time striking the creature’s jaw. Its head spun around with a bone-crushing snap, and hung limply on its side. O-Ushi smiled grimly and waited for the thing to collapse.
Instead, to her surprise, it seemed unperturbed. It lunged forward again, catching her clothing in its bloated hands and dragging her roughly to the ground. She struggled to maintain her composure as she felt its icy breath against her cheek. It wrenched its head forward again, its shattered jawbone sticking out of its cheek. It shifted its claws to her throat and began to squeeze the breath out of her.
Her hammer fell to the ground as her hands flailed behind her. Her eyes bulged and she could feel her gag reflex kick in, only to be cut off by the zombie’s tightening grip. Frantically, almost blindingly, she grasped the twin hilts of her knives and whipped them back around. The first plunged deep into the zombie’s broken neck; the second caught it in the temple. It uttered a short chirp and released its grip ever so slightly. O-Ushi reacted instinctively; she ripped free of her opponent’s claws, then slammed her head back into the zombie’s face. The force of the blow, combined with the damage of her knives, was enough to take its head completely off. The skull popped free and bounced to the ground like a child’s ball. The body stiffened and for a moment, O-Ushi though that it would renew its grip. Then it tumbled away from her, robbed of its locomotion by the loss of its head.
She stood there for a moment, waiting to see if it would rise again. It didn’t. When she realized that she was out of danger, the shudders overwhelmed her and she fell to her knees. She stayed that way for some time, until she felt Yakamo’s warm hand on her shoulder.
“It—it wanted to kill us,” she shook.
“Yes,” he agreed. “Every human being who dies in the Shadowlands rises again as one of these. Without soul, without memories, hungering only for the living flesh of those they once called kin.” The zombie jerked spasmodically and O-Ushi flinched. “This is thepower we fight, O-Ushi – the power to utterly destroy who we are. Can your courage stop this from happening to you? Can your strength or martial skills?”
“No…no,” she muttered quietly. “It would take more.”
“It requires a willingness to do what no one else will. It takes the ability to strike down a comrade before he can strike you down. Look at me, O-Ushi.”
He grasped her chin and lifted her head, his eyes burning holes in her face.
“If you had to kill me in this fashion, could you do it? If I were to rise, as he did, and take arms against my Clan, could you take my head and send my soul screaming into the void?”
Her eyes went black, as if a small light had been extinguished.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes I could.”
Yakamo smiled fiercely.
“Then you know what it means to be a Crab.”
Rising up, he took his sister by the hand and led her away.
She used to watch him before he went out, standing at the ramparts of the Great Wall and staring out into the fog-shrouded wasteland beyond. She never bothered him during these meditations, but today was different. It may have been the way the fading light caught his form, or the intensity in his eyes, like one of their legendary ancestors. The time seemed right to ask him.
She crept up behind him softly, her black eyes twinkling. Her sandals were silent in the twilight-soaked stone as her chubby hand reached up to his belt. She snatched his katana from its saya with a snap, and brandished it fiercely in front of her. Yakamo spun around, his contemplation forgotten. Snarling in mock anger, he grabbed the thief by the scruff of her ten-year-old neck and lifted her up to his scowling face. O-Ushi was unperterbed.
“If I was a Scorpion, you’d be dead now,” she beamed at him.
“If you were a Scorpion, I’d break your neck for touching my sword,” he growled. With his free hand, he plucked the katana from her hand and replaced it in his saya. His eyes never left her face.
“And what should we do with this great dishonor you have inflicted upon me?” he asked.
“A duel to the death is the only proper way to erase such a blotch,” she replied with mock solemnity. “Fortunately for you, I’m in a forgiving mood. Let me down, and I won’t have to kill you.”
“Oh, now you are forgiving me? I thank the fortunes my little sister has taken pity on me.” He shook her viciously, then let her drop to his feet with an undignified plop. She glared up at him, anger and mirth flashing in equal proportions across her face.
“I take it back. When you come back from the Shadowlands, I’ll have your head,” she threatened.
“I’m sure you will,” Yakamo’s face broke into a tired smile, and he knelt down to where she lay. “What are you doing up here, O’Ushi? Besides stealing my sword, that is.”
The light dimmed in her eyes and her smile vanished.
“I want to go with you. Into the Shadowlands.”
“Do you?” he said. “And do you know what such a task entails?”
“Sensei says my tsuchi technique is the best he’s seen. And I was quiet enough to take your sword before you saw me.”
“I see. And you believe that strength of arm and fleetness of foot is all you need to face the Fallen God?”
She looked at him silently. He sighed.
“Do you suppose I can do my duty while protecting you at the same time?”
“I can take care of myself.” She was serious now, all traces of her former levity gone. Yakamo watched her face silently for a time, then rose.
“If courage were water, you’d have drowned long ago. Go back to your quarters, O’Ushi. I’ll only be gone a day or so, and I’ll tell you about it when I come back.”
“But I want to go with you.”
“When you’re older, little sister, you’ll think differently. Go, and I won’t tell father you touched Chikara.”
She flinched at the remark, and for a moment, he thought she would launch herself at him. Then she rose to her feet, and bowed curtly before him.
“Hai, Yakamo-sama.”
She ran back the way she had come, her silence trampled by her flapping feet. Yakamo watched her go, then returned his gaze to the ghostly wasteland before him.
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The door to the quartermaster’s storage room opened slowly. O-Ushi peeked in and made a cursory sweep of the room before her. Sacks of grain lay stacked by the walls, flanked by hung strings of dried fish. A score of coarse bedrolls stood rolled up on the far side of the room, while shelves of empty water bottles stared down just within reach. Satisfied she was alone, she crept into the room and began collecting what she needed.
She had dressed conservatively, her dark gray clothes blending in well with the shadows. A pair of short knives were sheathed at her belt and her favorite hammer lay secure across her back. She didn’t think she would need them, not after she reached her brother, but it was best to be prepared. She took a pair of water bottles, reminding herself to fill them at the well before she left. A side of fish came down with a little prodding from her knife, which she placed in one of the bedrolls.
She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind her. Spinning around, she tensed her arms as a hunched figure stepped into the room. The man’s eyes widened at O-Ushi’s slight form, and the girl relaxed as she recognized him as Quartermaster Kaiu Rioto.
“Hida O-Ushi!” he scolded. “What do you think you are doing, creeping around my storeroom like a rat!?”
“It is of no concern of yours, little clerk,” she drew herself up to her full height and glared at him fiercely.
“You impertinent whelp,” Rioto hissed. “I should tan your backside for speaking to me like that.”
“I need a finger of jade,” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Where do you keep them?”
“Get out!” he shouted. “Get out and be thankful that I don’t bring you before the daimyo!”
O-Ushi stopped and fixed him with a clear and unwavering gaze.
“The daimyo is my father,” she spoke evenly. “And he would be displeased if he discovered one of his quartermasters selling supplies to cover gambling debts.”
Rioto started with disbelief.
“What…what are you talking about?”
“Call it blackmail if you want.” She gave him a sunny smile. “I heard it from the Yasuki. One finger of jade, little clerk, or I’ll make you wish they had thrown you to the goblins.”
The Kaiu began to sputter. “You….”
“Are the daughter of Hida Kisada, and not given to idle banter. The jade. Now.”
He gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. O-Ushi glared back at him, and turned around as if to leave. That settled it. The color drained out of Rioto’s face, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Reaching behind a pile of sacks, he produced a stoutly locked iron box. He fumbled with the catch for a minute, then opened it with a snap and produced a thick wand of creamy green. Eldritch symbols had been carved into its side, and as O-Ushi took it, it seemed to her that it almost glowed with power. Her dark eyes glittered and she bowed low before the quartermaster.
“Domo arigato, little clerk. This can stay our secret, yes?”
She scampered out the door with a snicker and almost laughed aloud as the Kaiu slammed it shut behind her.
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The moon shone bright across the River of the Last Stand as O-Ushi emerged from the bushes on the southern bnk. The tunnel had led straight through beneath the waters, as she had known. The Kaiu engineers would throw fits if they knew that a ten-year-old had found one of their secret passages. She turned and looked back at the Kaiu Wall, rising like a mountain on the river’s far side. Lanterns twinkled across its top, marking the sentries who stood watching for signs of attack. Very cautiously, she raised her arm and flashed a hand signal back to the guards. If they spotted her, she wanted them to think she was a Hiruma scout lest they riddle her with arrows before she had gone a yard. She got no response from the wall; if they saw her they weren’t letting her know. She stared hard at them for a few more minutes, then scurried away into the underbrush.
She moved cautiously at first, taking care to remain quiet. Here, with the wall practically within sight, it seemed almost silly. She had been raised on tales of the Shadowlands, on the way the landscape seemed to come to terrible life around you. She saw none of that here. Beneath the silver moon, the trees and bushes looked no different than those she played in around Hida castle. Tehw ind did not shake their branches nor did any small animals rustle through their leaves, but that was all. For a kingdom of ultimate evil, it seemed a bit disappointing. Still, she had no intention of being caught, and disguised her movements accordingly.
She located Yakamo’s path within an hour. Her brother’s heavy footsteps marked the mud like a road sige, and the two men who traveled with him made no pretense of hiding their tracks either. They followed what appeared to be a well-laid track, beaten from many other, smaller footprints. Combined with the moonlight, it made following them childishly simple.
The night moved towards morning as O-Ushi traveled on. The footprints moved steadily south, deeper and deeper into Fu Leng’s Realm. The landscape changed subtly as she went along, so subtly she almost didn’t’ notice. The trees took on ominous forms, their branches reaching silently across her path. The sounds of the night slowly returned, but they had an unnatural cadense to them – as if they were trying to sound ordinary but not quite succeeding. Although the path she followed remained clear, the ground beneath it had taken on an odd hue, almost like rotting flesh. The moon went down and utter darkness set in; O-Ushi realized that she had brought no form of light and while she could feel footprints beneath her fingers, she could barely make them out amid the dim starlight. Suddenly, she wanted to find Yakamo very quickly.
She began to hurry along the trail, now very conscious of the noise her movements made. The twitterings in the dark became louder as hints of grey streaked the sky to the east, now seeming to close in on her location. She moved to a trot, then a run, no longer watching where she ran. She thought of tugging her hammer free from her back, but couldn’t reach it at a full sprint. The noise came louder, this time appearing in front of her. She set her teeth and continued to run, refusing to move from her brother’s path. She did not notice that the light was growing brighter, and was unaware of the battle until she skidded headlong into it.
The clearing was lit by Yakamo’s sword, burning jade fire into the early morning air. He grasped the ancestral weapon easily in his huge right fist, while spinning his tetsubo one-handed in his left. A pair of bushi flanked him in a triangular pattern, keeping their foes from circling around behind them.
They were surrounded by a mob of goblins, some thirty or more swarming into the clearing. The goblins held rusty weapons and sharpened sticks in their clawed hands, and seemed to disregard their opponents’ obvious prowess. They leapt towards the nearest samurai in a wave, burying him beneath the force of their numbers. His knees buckled under the weight, even as he cleaved his foes in half. He stumbled, then fell backwards with a shout as the goblins overwhelmed him. They took no notice of Yakamo, who swung his weapons with practiced ease in an effort to dislodge them from his comrade.
O-Ushi’s hammer was in her hands almost before she could think. Her fear forgotten, she uttered a high-pitched war-cry and leapt into the fight. The first goblin never saw her coming; she caught it behind the ear with a wet cracking sound. It uttered a surprised bark as it flopped sideways, the blow spinning it like a top.
“O-Ushi!” Yakamo’s surprised yell echoed across the clearing. The goblins, apparently finished with the fallen bushi, now turned their attention to the new combatant. With a universal hiss, they sprang up and charged towards the young girl. Her eyes widened as she raised her hammer and prepared another blow.
It never fell. With a monstrous jerk, Yakamo grasped his sister’s collar and pulled her behind him. The surge of goblins crashed and broke against his armor. He swayed slightly, but did not fall; his lips curled in a snarl as he swung his tetsubo with blinding speed. The force of goblins shattered under his blows, the mob breaking into panicked groups of three or four. One goblin caught the full force of his blow, and flew backwards like a shattered kite. Another managed to grasp the tetsubo’s spiked tip, and tried valiantly to shake it loose from its owner. It too went flying, landing on the packed earth with a meaty thud. Yakamo’s remaining comrade took advantage of the distraction to slice a pair of goblins in two. They never saw the blade which killed them.
Sensing the battle was turning, Yakamo shifted his stance and redrew his katana. The jade symbols carved into it blazed anew, searching for foes to destroy. The sight of it was more than enough for the remaining goblins. They turned and fled, ignoring their brethren’s dying cries in a desperate attempt to escape. The two samurai ran the stragglers down mercilessly. The goblins’ shrieks had soon diminished to one or two rapidly quieting voices. With a satisfied grunt, Yakamo returned to the clearing.
O-Ushi watched it all with rapt attention, her eyes lit with excitement. She had killed a goblin at her brother’s side! Her fear and anxiety were forgotten, replaced with the flush of victory and the pride of accomplishment. She smiled broadly as her brother tramped back into view, and prepared to welcome him.
Her words faltered, however, when she saw the look on Yakamo’s face. He gave her a black scowl that drained her emotions dry. He nodded to the other bushi, who walked silently up behind them.
“Go back to the wall, Koshi. Tell them that the goblins of Mura Shunobi are no longer a problem. We will remain here and tend to the remains.”
The samurai bowed and turned to go.
“And Koshi…” Yakmo called after him. “Make no mention of my sister to anyone. Understand?”
“Hai, Yakamo-sama.” Without further word, he was off.
Yakamo knelt by the body of his fallen comrade and examined it closely. O-Ushi wanted to see what he was doing, but couldn’t bring herself to approach him. His calm hid a hurricane. After a time, he grasped the dead man’s daisho and pulled it free. Finally, he rose and strode towards her, closing the distance between them with alarming speed.
“Come here, O-Ushi,” he gestured softly. There was no disobeying him. “I want you to sit here and watch the body with me.”
“You want…”
“Sit down, O-Ushi. Right. Now.” She dropped instantly. He wiped the blood from his sword and sheathed it before kneeling down beside her. The fallen samurai’s body lay in front of them, surrounded by shattered goblins. It had been pierced in five or six places, the gaping holes leaked blood which slowly began to pool around him. It didn’t bother O-Ushi tremendously; she had seen men die before. Something in her brother’s tone, however, suggested a greater solemnity than the situation seemed to warrant. She hugged her knees and waited for Yakamo to pronounce judgement.
They sat in silence for a long time, as the grey in the east continued to brighten. She dared not utter a word and he showed no inclination to speak either. They watched the body quietly while flies gathered around the corpses.
“Did you bring any jade with you?” he asked at last. She held the stone up. “Good. You’re less of a fool than I thought.”
She said nothing.
“What were you doing, O-Ushi? What did you think you would accomplish with this display?”
“I—I wanted to show you how strong I was.”
“By throwing your life away?! Strength of arms and physical power are not enough to sway our foe, O-Ushi. The Shadowlands will not rest until they have snatched our souls and twisted our bodies to serve their whims. If you had not found us, it would have swallowed you whole.”
“But I did find you…”
“And were almost killed in the process! We are less than six hours from the Kaiu Wall – what you saw today is nothing. Further south lie horrors you can scarcely imagine, O-Ushi; creatures whose foulness corrupts the very air they breathe. If you cannot handle a small band of goblins, what chance have you against one of them?”
She was quiet for a moment, then spoke again.
“But I can never meet that challenge until I can face these smaller ones.”
“You are not ready to face these smaller ones, sister. A Crab is brave, but also wise. He does not throw his strength away on useless displays of courage. Whom would you have benefited if you had died? Who would know or cared if you bartered your life so cheaply?”
She remained silent as the words suck in.
“I want you to watch,” he continued. “And we will see if you are ready.”
--------------------------------------
Morning dawned, cold and misty, the sun hidden beneath the clouds. The flies had landed in great swarms, feasting merrily on the dead. The stench would probably attract larger scavengers, and O-Ushi wasn’t sure she wanted to be here when they arrived. Yakamo refused to move, though, staring stonily ahead at the fallen bushi.
Suddenly, his arm shot out, and he pointed his finger at the rising cloud of flies.
“There!”
The samurai’s body began to shudder. Its limbs twitched and its neck creaked upwards as a low moan escaped its lips. Blackened blood trickled out of its mouth, matching the still-gaping wounds in its chest and belly. O-Ushi repressed the urge to scream and gripped her hammer tightly. The corpse planted its hands in the dirt and began to rise, its groans raising the hair on the back of her neck. It lurched to its feet and looked around dully as its glazed eyes settled on the two Hida. It opened its mouth in ahideous scream and began to shamble towards them.
“Kill it,” Yakamo stated flatly. She hesitated.
“Kill it now, O-Ushi!”
The steel in her brother’s voice egged her on. Clenching her fists around the handle of the hammer, she uttered what she hoped was a harrowing cry and ran towards the walking dead. Her first blow struck it square in the chest, knocking it backwards and leaving a flat impression where it connected. Moving quickly now, O-Ushi allowed her training to override the fear which gnawed at her heart. She swung her hammer again, this time striking the creature’s jaw. Its head spun around with a bone-crushing snap, and hung limply on its side. O-Ushi smiled grimly and waited for the thing to collapse.
Instead, to her surprise, it seemed unperturbed. It lunged forward again, catching her clothing in its bloated hands and dragging her roughly to the ground. She struggled to maintain her composure as she felt its icy breath against her cheek. It wrenched its head forward again, its shattered jawbone sticking out of its cheek. It shifted its claws to her throat and began to squeeze the breath out of her.
Her hammer fell to the ground as her hands flailed behind her. Her eyes bulged and she could feel her gag reflex kick in, only to be cut off by the zombie’s tightening grip. Frantically, almost blindingly, she grasped the twin hilts of her knives and whipped them back around. The first plunged deep into the zombie’s broken neck; the second caught it in the temple. It uttered a short chirp and released its grip ever so slightly. O-Ushi reacted instinctively; she ripped free of her opponent’s claws, then slammed her head back into the zombie’s face. The force of the blow, combined with the damage of her knives, was enough to take its head completely off. The skull popped free and bounced to the ground like a child’s ball. The body stiffened and for a moment, O-Ushi though that it would renew its grip. Then it tumbled away from her, robbed of its locomotion by the loss of its head.
She stood there for a moment, waiting to see if it would rise again. It didn’t. When she realized that she was out of danger, the shudders overwhelmed her and she fell to her knees. She stayed that way for some time, until she felt Yakamo’s warm hand on her shoulder.
“It—it wanted to kill us,” she shook.
“Yes,” he agreed. “Every human being who dies in the Shadowlands rises again as one of these. Without soul, without memories, hungering only for the living flesh of those they once called kin.” The zombie jerked spasmodically and O-Ushi flinched. “This is thepower we fight, O-Ushi – the power to utterly destroy who we are. Can your courage stop this from happening to you? Can your strength or martial skills?”
“No…no,” she muttered quietly. “It would take more.”
“It requires a willingness to do what no one else will. It takes the ability to strike down a comrade before he can strike you down. Look at me, O-Ushi.”
He grasped her chin and lifted her head, his eyes burning holes in her face.
“If you had to kill me in this fashion, could you do it? If I were to rise, as he did, and take arms against my Clan, could you take my head and send my soul screaming into the void?”
Her eyes went black, as if a small light had been extinguished.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes I could.”
Yakamo smiled fiercely.
“Then you know what it means to be a Crab.”
Rising up, he took his sister by the hand and led her away.