The Way of the Fox (20 page)

The sun slipped below the hills. Suddenly the outer world was plunge
d into shadow. The penaggolan gave a roar of triumph, and tore its way upward through the trees.

Chiri leapt up, changing into half-human form. Naked and shimmering pure white, she
leapt over Sura’s fallen spear and seized hold of a dangling tentacle, tying a clumsy knot to anchor the monster to a tree. The penaggolan screamed in pain and anger, trying desperately to pull free. A broken log ricocheted from Tonbo’s helmet, making the man shake his head in annoyance.

Kuno tried to shield himself from flying branches. He yelled back to where Sura
had raced up onto a stump.

“Banish it! Use the shield spell!”

The fox looked about herself in despair
. “I’m all out of seals!”
Sura tried to think.
“It’s from the realm of slaughter! If I’m going to banish it, I have to lock it down!”

“You don’t have to send it home! What other gateways can you open?”

The penaggolan finally wrenched apart its knotted tentacle and pulled free. It saw its escape route – right across the clearing and out through the trees. The monster screamed in joy, its wicked knife-tongue flickering in the gloom.

Sura blinked, flooded with inspiration, and suddenly
raced to Tonbo.

“Tonbo! Flying fox!”

Tonbo seized her spear and hurtled it to the far side of the clearing, where it stuck point-first into the ground. He seized hold of Sura and threw her after the spear. The fox whipped through the air, curling into a ball, flashing past the astonished monster. The penaggolan made one swipe with an entrail and missed. Sura hit the ground across the clearing, rolled to break her fall, and came up already shifted into half-human form. Naked, her fur gleaming, she snatched up the spear, spinning it about herself in a glittering arc.

The penaggolan charged straight towards her, tentacles reaching – knife tongue lunging. Sura’s spearhead glowed white, and left a
tao
symbol glittering in the air.

“Celestial gardens, golden land.

Palaces of Heaven’s hordes.

Forbidden to the mortal hand -

Heaven’s Gate, fly wide!”

She cut
hard down with her spear to open a gate. Magical power flashed.

The entire world shuddered. The fox poured her power into the spell, the effort almost driving her to her knees – her arms struggling to
push downwards with her spear and somehow open up the gate. The ground around her bucked: trees bowed and twisted aside. Sura summoned up a whirlwind of power and poured it down into her spear.

A
gash opened between worlds. An immense wind blasted forth, and the penaggolan inched forward against the blast. Sura staggered, driven backward. Storm winds swirled and suddenly tore through the thicket.

Tonbo fought his way forward. He saw Sura trying to open the gate. Shielding his eyes, he bellowed out against the wind.

“Close it! It hasn’t been done! You can’t control it!”

Naked, her fur flying,
Sura stood her ground. She struggled to wrench open the gate, straining every article of her being.

“I can do it!”
Lethal power arced out of the gate, tearing into the grass and trees.
“Trust me – I’m a fox!”

A gateway to the celestial heavens suddenly opened wide.

A pure white, blinding light blasted out into the thicket. Chiri, Tonbo and Kuno frantically shielded their eyes. The two little elementals, suddenly freed from the men’s weapons, dove down into cover at Chiri’s side.

The penaggolan was caught full in the blast. Slime left by the monster’s tentacles burst into vapour. The
creature tried to scream, but disintegrated too swiftly to make another sound. Flesh, bone and organs all crisped away in an instant, blasted into ashes.

Sura cast a weird shadow in the light – a figure with fur whipped in the wind. Beside the shadow of her tail, th
ere were other shapes – ghostly, half-formed tails that writhed and rippled in the heavenly winds.

The gate looked upon the courtyards of a brilliant silver palace in a land seared by pure white light. At the foot of the steps, a huge celestial dragon lay coiled. The creature lifted its head, caught sight of
the fox, and instantly leapt up to its feet.

“Oh crap!”

Kuno felt his skin burning in the otherworldly light.

“Close it!”

“I’m closing it! I’m closing it!” Shaking her head with exhaustion, Sura sliced across the gateway with her spear.

“Gateway to sacred heaven’s realm –

Seal now and be
gone!”

Inside the gate, the immense dragon moved menacingly forward. Coils the size of a river looped and roiled behind it. The beast got up speed, lumbering straight towards the gate, moving faster and faster. Kuno could only wave his hands wildly at the fox.

“It’s not closing!”

“Give it time!” The fox cut her spear across the gateway once again.
“Close! Seal now and be gone!”

Kuno stared at the dragon.
He tried to be very calm.

“Sura
?”

“I’m working on it!” The fox tried to shut the gate again
“Seal now and be gone!”

“Sura?
Now
would be excellent.”

“I’m thinking!”

The dragon raged towards them, moving ever faster – but Sura was sunk in thought, ticking remembered points off on her fingers. All of a sudden inspiration struck! The fox reversed her spear.

“Got it!
Ha! Fine – it’s all fine…!” Sura gathered up her power. “
Seal now and be gone!”

She
sliced the butt of her spear cross the gateway, pouring magical power up out of herself and into the portal. Inside the celestial heavens, the mighty dragon gathered itself to spring. It lunged forward, jaws gaping wider than a cavern – and then suddenly the heavenly gate slammed shut. The entire thicket was plunged into gloom.

Dazed and utterly winded, Sura bent over, trying to find her breath.

“There – you see? Just a… a matter of correct application of skills…” She suddenly sat down.

“I
.. I don’t think Heaven agrees with me.” The fox was utterly exhausted. She sank to the ground. “I may have to forgo taking up residence.”

Tonbo sat do
wn heavily beside her. “The odds of you being invited there are vanishingly small.”

There was a great crashing and thrashing at the edges of the thicket. Lord Ishigi and
Lord Masura had both been standing and staring – blinded by the images of heaven. They blundered forward into the clearing, with commander Hijiya and half a dozen bewildered guards at their side. Chiri – still quite naked – squeaked and immediately turned into a rat. She fled behind Sura’s naked rear, gripped once again by hiccoughs.

Sura saw the incoming lords, tried to rise, but discovered that she was bruised and aching from head to toe.

“Oh yeah. I am seriously going to demand a full body brushing for this one.”

Lord Masura broke into the clearing – still speechless after all that he had seen. Kuno
turned, faced his lord, and gave a perfect, eloquent bow.

“My
lord – I believe the case is closed.”

A few wisps of ash swirled away in the wind.
The monster was definitely dead. Lord Masura looked in wonderment at the tired and battered Spirit Hunters.

“Indeed.” He blinked, feeling rather lost. “Closed indeed.”

Creeping wearily out of the bushes, Sura shifted into fox form. Tonbo tucked her under his arm, retrieving her spear. The group pushed their way out of the shattered thicket, emerging into a landscape dark and mellow with the vanishing sunset. From the dormitories, the aroma of roasting duck drifted seductively in the air. Sura raised her pointed nose to sniff, giving a tired wag of her tail.

“Is there dinner?”

Tonbo gave an easy shrug. “We will find some.”

The fox still had visions of flying entrails in her head. “Maybe not sashimi.”

Chiri rode upon Kuno’s shoulders. She had the most terrible hiccoughs. She covered her eyes with one paw.

“Oh!
Hic!
Oh Kuno san, did an imperial magistrate just see us naked?”

Kuno had to admit that it was so. Sura called across from under Tonbo’s arm.

“Hey wow! Is he impressed?

Kuno flicked a dry glance towards the fox. “By the magic – yes.”

“Oh!
Hic!”
The rat fretted over the day’s further embarrassments. “We broke Magistrate Masura’s shrine!”

Sura gave an airy wave of her paw. “Hey – no one place is more sacred than any other. I’m a Taoist – I can help him with that!”

Lord Ishigi took up station beside Tonbo and Sura. His retainers came racing forward. The samurai lord waved his men over towards the keep.

“Let them be taken to the baths. Bring a brush for the fox! And robes. Rice and a
heroes’ meal. Bring sakē!”

The retainers hastily bowed. Sura l
ifted up a paw.

“
Plum wine?”

Tonbo glowered. “Don’t push it.”

Lord Ishigi was thoroughly amused. “Plum wine! Plum wine indeed…”

He walked along quite happily at Sura’s side.
Monsters had been revealed and murders solved: it had been a most fascinating day. Lord Ishigi looked down in interest at the fox.

“So tell me, Kitsune Sura. Tell me about this Spirit Hunting…!”

They walked onward towards the guest house, while overhead, the evening stars began to shine.

Chapter 10

Sunrise silvered the horizon, brushing new light across the castle towers. The forests shimmered as the golden sun spread colours out across the trees. Birds rose swooping all across the river, brilliant and carefree.

It was a beautiful dawn.

The great keep of Iris Castle had many fine architectural points – but finest of all was the
‘moon viewing platform’
that took up fully half of the fourth floor. A great, broad section of the tower was open to the sky above, looking out across the castle, the gardens and the town below – off towards the river that glittered gorgeously in the rising sun. It was like a peaceful island floating between the earth and clouds.

A
gentle breeze caressed the keep. It set Chiri’s long white hair rippling softly as she sat drinking tea beside Tonbo and Asodo Kuno. The breeze brought with it the scents of spring: the first cherry trees were budding, and the forest flowers were coming into bloom. The world was a carpet of colours stretching far off into the edges of the dawn.

Sura sat
happily surrounded by breakfast dishes – all of them now empty. She had consumed a partridge, pickled vegetables, sweetened rice, rice milk – and some out-of-season peaches had been pointedly placed into a bowl within easy reach. She chatted with Lord Ishigi, wholeheartedly enjoying the man’s company as she described one of her evil triumphs – mirror polishing the stone floor of Kitsune Mountain’s temple the night before her particular rivals were to dance in the shrine. A fine slicking with oil had made the floor virtually frictionless, with spectacular results. She moulded a vision of her ‘aunt’, Kagone – matriarch of the entire Kitsune realm – striding onto centre stage to berate the dancers, only to continue sliding slowly off towards stage left, her eyes bugging out in bemusement. Lord Ishigi laughed – the carefree laugh of a fellow rogue. He presented Sura with tea, bowing to her as an acknowledged master.

Sura
was in her human semblance once again. With long red pony tail tipped in white, pointed ears and fluffy tail, she could never be mistaken for a simple human being. The light in her green eyes spoke of a sheer delight in the dawn and in the forest – in the spring breeze, in the food and in the company.

The joys of the Tao.

The way of the fox.

Lord Masura was attended by Commander Hijiya, along with a single maid. He turned to view the rising sun, greatly pleased by the colours that flooded slowly out across the valley. He turned to his guests, well satisfied, and saluted them with his teacup raised.

“
There! You will forgive the early hour, but I thought it fitting. I thought to give you a rising sun.” He drank, and set his cup back down. “It is our thanks to you for your services. We very nearly gazed upon our last.”

“It is a truly fine sight, my lord.” Kuno bowed serenely in place. “
We thank you.”

Lord Ishigi secured a peach from the bowl. “
And so, Sura san, we are still in a daze about last evening’s events.” He sliced a peach – ironically enough, he used a kodzuka. “What exactly is a penaggolan?”

The fox
happily drained her cup.

“Ah!
A flying head monster from the realm of slaughter, Lord Ishigi. Very rare! I knew of them only through ancient tales from foreign lands.” She shook her head. “This one may have been operating in the region for some years, gorging upon festival goers and then lying low for months at a time.”

Lord Ishigi was quite mystified. “
But where did it come from? How would such a creature enter the mortal realm?”

Sura look
ed out over the walls, to where the town lay sleepily in the morning shadows. Her voice was low and firm – her manner no longer light hearted.

“
When the Tao is unbalanced, mayhem always follows…

“
Something has begun to happen. We are seeing more and more disturbance in the eight-fold world. Intruders are passing through cracks between the realms. Old hidden terrors are suddenly no longer sleeping.” Her green eyed gaze quietly searched the forest below. “But we shall thwart it. With the cunning of the fox, the spirit of the samurai, and the wisdom of the rat.”

Magistrate Masura sat listening to her. He felt the breeze all around him, the
sun and the air – just as a fox might feel it. No ranks, no divisions: He felt into the world.

“
Balance…” He nodded softly. “Where there are evil spirits – there should be Spirit Hunters.”

Sura inclined her head to Lord Masura.

“I am pleased that we have brought this latest monster to its end. But Tsunetomo Tonbo and myself would have been quite helpless without our companions. We could never have succeeded were it not for the skills of Asodo Kuno, and for the cleverness of Nezumi Chiri.”

Tonbo and Sura turned and bowed to their companions. Tonbo looked at the beautiful white rat w
oman and passed her tea.

“
Chiri san, have you considered our request?” Tonbo bowed to her once again. “We humbly ask you to become our partner. Please join us in our wandering.”

Shy, pleased, and finally home at last, the rat girl place
d a hand against her throat. She bowed – serene and beautiful – deeply and profoundly moved.

“
I accept with gratitude.”

The magistrate sat back. He considered Kuno – with
his neat robes, his immaculate hair and his air of serious, forceful duty. He flicked a considering glance between the man and his fox companion. Reaching a decision, Lord Masura drew forth a gleaming billet of silver – the symbol of imperial authority – and passed it over the tatami mats to Kuno.

“Deputy
Asodo Kuno. Some things happen felicitously, because the gods show us their will. You have come to our notice. And we hereby give you an imperial appointment to the third rank. You will continue your commission as a roving deputy – but now as an official part of this band, these Spirit Hunters.” He looked at the man in approval.

“
We wish you good hunting.”

The magistrate nodded
to the maid, who shuffled forwards and discretely uncovered a small tray. Upon the tray sat a neat packet of golden coins. The magistrate indicated the tray with his fan.

“
Kitsune Sura. Perhaps you would do me the favour of accepting this small sum to facilitate your wandering?” He bowed to her – and then to Tonbo. “Tsunetomo Tonbo – I wish you the best of fortune. I believe you will have your hands full.”

Lord Ishigi follow
ed it all in great approval. He then clapped his own fan into his hand, eagerly signalling to his own retainers who kept vigil beside the door. An attendant came forward with two bundles that had been wrapped in brocade robes. The gorgeous packages were laid upon the mats. Lord Ishigi unwrapped them himself, taking great joy in the presentation.

A pair of imm
aculate swords, long and short, were revealed inside the first bundle. Lord Ishigi held the sheathed katana out in one hand, and formally presented it to Kuno.

“
Asodo Kuno. As promised, here is your reward for your victory in the tournament. Blades crafted by the great smith Ryouichi.” He saw that the blade was placed firmly into Kuno’s hands. “It is a pleasure to give artwork to a soul who can appreciate it.”

“Thank you my lord.” Kuno bowed. “Thank you.”

Lord Ishigi turned his genial, scheming eyes upon Chiri, her elementals and her intelligent pink eyes, delighting in what he saw. “But what to offer the beautiful Chiri san? As quiet as a mouse, and as bold as a tiger?”

The big man unwrapped the second
bundle, and beckoned Chiri forward.

“
Here. In memory of the moment when a sword master was defeated by a girl armed with a pair of old weeding scythes.”

Inside the
brocade wrapping lay a pair of
natagama
: curved, metal hafted hooked blades used as brush cutters. Similar to Chiri’s kama, but far sturdier. But such natagama! The blades were made from beautifully folded steel, with wavering silver
hamon
patterns on the sharpened edges. Chiri could only stare in amazement.

Lord Ishigi passed over the weapons, greatly pleased by Chiri’s expression.

“They are by Ryouichi the Elder, first sword smith of the empire. His descendants kept them – and they now wish them to be passed on to you.” Lord Ishigi nodded in approval. “The revered Ryouichi believed that a smith should master all the tools, if he were ever to truly understand the kami of metal. Ryouichi Sensei went on to make the seven swords of legend. So even the greatest of these owes its temper to these little natagama!”

Chiri accepted the gifts
with awe and gratitude. Her pink eyes were wide.

“
My – my profound gratitude, Lord Ishigi. You are most gracious.” The rat bowed. “Most gracious indeed.”

Later in the morning. Sura had finished packing up her affairs.
Backpacks had been stacked in a row down by the castle gates. Sura’s bags were conspicuously heavier that when she had arrived. It was clear that the guesthouse larder had been raided, and raided thoroughly. The castle’s stocks of plum wine had most certainly suffered. Tonbo stood beside the bags. Armoured like a behemoth, he had shouldered his iron tetsubo, and slung his helmet on his back. He joked with Chiri, who seemed to have taken on a fresh new glow. Her two elementals happily chased each other through the flowers nearby.

Sura
leaned on the battlements above, looking back across the castle grounds. But it was the lands beyond that called to her. She turned and gazed out through an arrow port, looking off across the valley. A bridge crossed the river, the river road lead off into the distance. The world spread out before her, filled with endless possibilities.

Kuno joined her, bringing with him her canteen – a canteen he had personally filled with
water
. He turned with Sura, watching as the basket-headed monk’s torso was led past. It was headless, and still ringing its bell. Some very puzzled guards led it about using a rope, wondering quite what to do with it. Sura considered the creature and scratched at her ear.

She turned back to the
view across the river and Kuno followed. They stood side by side – at peace with one another at long last. Sura set Kuno’s canteen beside him, and hung her own from her belt. She leaned upon her spear, and gazed out upon the world.

“
Are you disappointed?”

With eyes on the river valley, Kuno shook his head. “I now have a mission.” He took a swig of water from his canteen. “
Apparently, I am charged by the gods with the task of civilising you.”

Sura drank from her own canteen. There was a sudden, distinct scent of plum wine. Kuno blinked – it
was
plum wine! Apparently the fox had managed a feat of utter magic. He turned and stared, trying to puzzle out just how it had all occurred...

Unless she had earlier filled
his
canteen with wine, knowing that he would check her own canteen to ensure that it was water. And then switched canteens with him as they stood here…?

Life was apparently going to be a challenge.

They watched the walking torso being led off towards the castle keep. Kuno stared at it in puzzlement.

“
What should be done with that… thing? It seems quite peaceful and content. Apparently it eats soup.”

Sura
wagged her tail in thought. “Maybe they could use it as a planter? You know – put a daisy in its neck and let it walk around the castle?”

“
Kitsune Sura, you are the most disturbing creature I have ever met.”

“Excellent!”
The fox seemed immensely pleased to hear it. “Right! Come along, oh mighty samurai. There’s work to be done!”

Sura led the way down from the battlements – past guards and
foot soldiers, samurai and officers. She waved farewell to her favourite guards – to the two ronin who now proudly wore uniforms as junior deputies. Shouldering her pack, she put the sheath upon her spear blade, and made ready to leave. Taking Chiri beneath her wing, she led the Spirit Hunters out through the gatehouse and down towards the town, lifting her voice raucously up in song.