Yūrei and Commander Ōtomo dash over to help him take a seat on a nearby tree stump.
“Bīng bào (Ice storm), what happened?” The Masked Warrior, starts to inspect the Dragon’s left foot, when it is brightly illuminated. “Nice one, Commander.”
“Please call me Asuka,” he answers, holding the illumination up so it casts more light to reveal the underside of the Dragon’s heel is not only bruised it is bleeding. “Ooh, what did you land on?”
Bīng bào shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. “No idea. I dodged their arrows by quickly turning and slammed my back left paw down on something really hard. Ow!”
“Sorry, it looks like you have also pulled some of your scales back, hence the blood,” explains the legend. “I think once it has had a good clean, it should heal.”
The Ice Dragon emits a soft laugh and remarks, “Here I go again injuring myself in the forest near your home.”
“Like always we will take good care of you. Are you sure none of the arrows hit you?”
Bīng bào smiles and nods. “I am too quick for sticky stupid mortals. Oops, no offence Asuka.”
“None taken for you are right some of us mortals are stupid. I mean shooting arrows at a lovely god, they deserve what they get, entrapment. How many of the foul things are there?”
“I counted a hundred. They arrived this morning on horses, which they sent away towards the village. They picked up their bundles and made their way here. It was only when I saw them drawing Katanas I stopped them, before they attacked your town, Mèng.”
Yūrei moves a boulder over so the Dragon can rest his foot upon it. “It must be members of the Bitō Clan.”
Bīng bào’s eyes widen and gasps, “What! You mean those sticky men are part of that awful clan? They have not raised their ugly heads for over twenty years. Why are they back?”
“It is because the Captain of the Yamato betrayed us,” explains Commander Ōtomo. “This goes way deeper than a gauge against the Major General.”
The Ice Dragon slightly shakes his head in disappointment. “Ah, those stinky men are blaming a Captain Kikuchi for their current predicament. What would you like me to do with them?”
The Great Warrior notices the raised scales are still bleeding which is not good for any Dragon as just a little blood loss can make them feel a tad unwell. “They can sit in there for a while for they are not hurt.”
“Healer, I will get Guāngxiàn,” offers Asuka and runs off to return a moment later.
“That was quick,” remarks the Great Warrior.
They laugh and the Commander explains, “My men along with the police are right outside the forest. Here comes the man we need.”
Guāngxiàn trots over and starts to examine the Ice Dragon’s injury. “Once I have given it a good clean, the scales should settle down. I am afraid you will need to keep off it until dawn.”
Bīng bào releases a disappointed sigh. “I am terrible, defending the town and end up hurting myself. I am not much of a ferocious Dragon am I?”
Yūrei pats him on the shoulder and jokes, “You are the worst, ill temped Dragon I have ever known.”
Everyone laughs and the Ice Dragon plays a long, “Yes, I have a vicious temper. Ow!”
The Healer sucks air through his teeth and apologises, “I am sorry, I should have warned you the treatment will sting a little. There, I will numb the pain some more. Better?”
“Yes, thank you. Mèng, you cannot expect them to remain in my ice cave for the night.”
The Great Warrior places his hand upon his waist. “No, you right. Can you do me a door, so I can grab one for questioning.”
Bīng bào looks to the others and expresses, “Has he suddenly forgot what that is? Mèng, it is a circle of ice, once I tell it to melt it will all melt.”
“I might be able to help with that,” answers Chūnfēng, holding out his left hand. “I produce ice that is close to this. I might be able to melt a hole.”
The Masked Warrior stands behind him and slaps his hands upon the Elemental’s shoulders. “You can do it, my good friend.”
Chūnfēng rubs his hands together before he throws them out in front of him and a small hole in the ice begins to get slowly larger. It also releases the stench of the mortals that makes everyone place a sleeve over their mouths and nose.
Commander Ōtomo wafts his right hand in front of his face and remarks, “That stench is causing my eyes to water.”
Guāngxiàn slowly rises and informs everyone, “It is animal dung along with their own pee. Yuck! Disgusting! What were they hoping to achieve? A stink reward? They would certainly win that. Chūnfēng, soak them.”
“What? You serious in this weather, they will freeze to death.”
“Serves them right for trespassing in an Ice Dragon’s forest and trying to kill him,” answers the Healer, folding his arms. “All right, try and make it warm rain, if you can?”
The Elemental gives a sharp nod. He holds up one hand high above his head to make storm clouds appear over the ring of ice and when he closes his hand it starts to rain. All the men inside realise angry cries and damned it to stop.
“Well, well, that is certainly puts a damper on their stink.”
Yūrei turns around and calls, “Death! They are not dying are they?”
The grim reaper comes stepping in to the light of the illumination stones. “No, I need your help, Mèng, the village is under attack. Do not worry coming with me you should be fine.”
Commander Ōtomo opens a portal. “Go, I will see you there.”
The Masked Warrior quickly travels through Death’s domain to come out in the village where men are fighting, and some buildings are on fire. As he draws his black Katana he sees the Commander is wilding a flame sword and he is using it to put out the fires for it seems to suck them up. Then another Aoi koi appears out of a portal to take on the enemy who retreats in fear when they realise what the man is. Yūrei’s minions run over to climb over a foul smelling man, making him drop to his knees begging for mercy as the little creatures pock him with their sharp spears.
Soon more of the Aoi koi arrive to help their fellow brothers round up the men in to the square and Commander Ōtomo goes to the king to discover he is trying to find out who had sent the Bitō Clan to attack innocent people? The man is refusing to speak no matter how much the legend threatens him.
“Kin ta un sin ka mun ta,” says Ja sa, whilst he pats the mortal’s face.
Yūrei nods in agreement. “Na, na te min ta un ka la.”
“Ne, su, su.”
“Su, su? To ka ma yi?
The lead minion starts to search the man’s Kimono. “Smelly!” He hisses and pulls out a folded piece of paper. “Master, su, su.”
The Great Warrior uses a cloth to pick up the paper and unfolds it. “Sorry I should say, su, su means roughly map. And that is what it is, a crudely drawn map to this very village.”
Asuka adores the minions he shakes his right first in delight. “He is amazing he found that. That is evidence. It is a shame your darling pets are going to stink.”
“It is a good jab they are just ash and ink, hopefully it won’t linger.” The Masked Warrior kicks the man, who is lying at his feet, in the side and demands, “Who gave you this? Was it Captain Kikuchi? You better start talking, otherwise I am going to allow Ja sa to blind you.”
The lead minion points his decretive spear at the man’s eye and licks his lips. “Eye, me like eyes. Master, gin yi mun ta la ru se. Money,” he says, moving his feet around the man’s chest.
“Money? Ga la rin,” demands the king.
One of his other minions dives inside the topcoat, which makes the man start to laugh and call, “Stop! I am ticklish.”
The minion comes out holding a sack which the Commander takes. “Have you found payment?” He asks in a slightly higher voice. “You are a good boy.”
The minion grins and sits down on the enemy's abdomen.
“Your army are just adorable, I wish I could summon something like this. Let’s see what this one found,” he says, tipping out the coins into his hand. “Interesting, where did you get Dragon money from?”
Yūrei picks up one of the crescent moon coins and holds it in to the light, that is coming from a nearby window. “That is not just any Dragon money, that is rare Mountain Dragon money,” he informs him when he notices the mountain with a moon above it. “I just hope this has not been taken from their home.”
Even Asuka is hoping it is just reproduction otherwise they have been taking it from the Crescent Moon Mountains, which is an officially a burial site. He turns one over to discover on the back is the mark of the Bitō Clan crest. “It is fake. Look, they putting their own crest on it. What should be on that side?”
The Great Warrior emits a relieved sigh and pats the Commander’s shoulder. “Well done for spotting that. If it was real it would be the same on both sides. Why is your leader doing this? Talk!”
The man on the ground shakes his head. “I am not speaking to a freak,” he snaps and as a result the creatures upon him stab him with their spears.
Commander Ōtomo gabs the man’s chin. “You bastard! That is your king.”
“No, he is not my king. A man like him should never be allowed to be in charge.”
The Masked Warrior emits a soft laugh and tells him, “Idiot, it was you mortals who made me king of Japan, back when it was known as Wa. When I brought the clan wars to an end. No one had an issue with me because they all knew I was sent by the higher gods—”
The enemy grits his teeth and spits, “There is no such thing as gods.”
Asuka slaps him on the cheek and points his hand at the king. “How can you say that, when there is one standing right in front of you, hm? News flash, it was also us mortals who called them gods. Because he is doing a prime example, summoning his army. Can you do that?”
The smelly man does not respond and turns his head away.
“Hold on, this little battle of yours was to take down this village because same sex couples are allowed by the gods. And because this village is watched over by myself it has to fall. This is what Tenjō is worried about mortals turning against the gods. What absolute fools when emerying is watched over by the Higher Gods. There is one now,” says the king, bowing his head.
The enemy looks up to see a stunning youth is looking down at him and his face fills with a mix of fear and worry.
“Bitō Kyōke son of Ōshū who was the leader of their clan until I came to take him, one stormy night. How come you were not made leader in his place? There is a little hint for you, darling,” informs Death, tapping his hands together. “You are to inform your leader, whoever that may be, if the Bitō Clan harm any of your kind again or threaten the life of a god, the Keepers of the Threads of Time will cut your threads, so that I can claim you before you are an old man. Do you want that to happen?”
The man shakes his head. “No… please do not cut my life short.”
“Then stop pissing off Chaos for he will bring in his child to bring order anyway he can, even if it means I come to take some of you. King Mèngjiàn is the son of Chaos. Got it?”
“Y-yes, Death, I… I understand.”
Yūrei withdraws his minions and pulls Kyōke to his feet. “Ooh! Man! You reek. Who’s idea was it to cover yourselves in dung and your own piss?”
Commander Ōtomo pinches his nose and suggests, “Probably their leader… My goodness that is so unclean… so disgusting. You should all be put in a hot spring.”
“Funny enough there is one in the hills just over there,” says the Great Warrior. “Death, thank you for the information.”
“Anytime. Mother has also informed me there are eight of the Sasaki family alive. One of them is a baby who is yet to be born.”
“Let me guess it is due in a weeks time?”
“It sure is, here is a map of their location. Ah, duty calls,” says the grim reaper looking at an hourglass before he disappears in to the shadows from once he came.
The king pushes Kyōke over to the others who have been rounded up by locals and Aoi koi and they march them up the hill to small hot spring and push all the members of the Bitō Clan fully clothed into the hot steaming water.
The Masked Warrior begins to look around for he can hear an odd whistling sound, then he looks up at the night sky and throws out his left hand to form barrier. Commander Ōtomo and his fellow officers watch the arrows ping off the invisible shield in all directions. Then their king unleashes his crows to fly over the area where the wave of arrows originated from.
Asuka quietly gets his men together and holds up his right hand in line with the side of his hand, poised to give the order to attack. When another wave of arrows rain down on them from the same direction.
“Found them,” says Yūrei, “sixty of them they do not have many arrows left. They are all getting ready to fire another wave. All right, barrier down.”
Then Commander points his hand forward and his men move out over the hill with their king following behind. This is when the men in the pool discover they are unable to get out for there is something around them preventing them from escaping.
The attackers hiding in the hills are too busy rearming their bows to see the approaching Eternal and his men until it is too late all sixty of them are soon on the snowy ground with a knee in their backs.
Asuka rolls the man he has grabbed over, he rips away the black mask to discover it is a member of the Yamato. “Colonel Ichijō, what have you done.”
“The Yamato must fall so the Bitō can rise and rule Japan.”
All the members of the Aoi koi start to laugh and shake their heads.
“Idiot the Yamato Clan covers half of Japan and at its heart is a god. So you thought taking down one village and town that lie in central Honshu with a tiny group of men against an army that covers, I will repeat half of Japan, would be enough? And you know us Aoi koi are unique and we can go where we are needed.”
Suddenly there is a freezing blast of air as an Ice Dragon comes into land. “Your highness, needing a hand?”
“Suì bīng jī, it is good to see you. I am sorry if these smelly mortals awakened you.”
“It cannot be helped when they are stomping through our hills whilst we are trying to sleep over winter. I will let you use my pool to wash them.”
The Great Warrior performs a shallow bow. “That is so kind of you, Suì bīng jī.”
“Well, it is the least I can do to help, your highness. My brothers and I want their stench gone. Follow the ice it will lead you to the pool,” informs the Ice Dragon before he takes off.
Aoi koi pull all the men they were pinning to the ground to their feet and follow the king up a steep path to nice steaming hot spring and they push all the men into it.
Colonel Ichijō kicks the Commander hard in the knee, which sends him to the ground and he runs off only to be stopped by a black Katana that is pointed towards his chest. He follows the blade back to discover it is being held by king.
“There is no escaping me,” he declares, grabbing the front of the Colonel’s Kimono and drags him over to the pool.
The Colonel tries to get free, but he is unable to remove the hand from his clothes. “What are you?”
“You know what I am, a god and king of Japan. I am going to make you all wish you had never started this. How many more are there, who has turned against Yamato Tenjō?”
The late middle aged man smiles and answers with sincerity, “More than enough to destroy the Main Court from the inside out.”
“Idiot, you do not even know where he is, do you?”
“He is at the Main Court in Nara… why are you shaking your head.”
“Your men will find the nest empty for Tenjō is somewhere safe and his men will take you all down,” informs the Masked Warrior, going on to push Colonel Ichijō into the pool.
Commander Ōtomo hobbles to him and whispers in Chinese, “I will go and check up on him.”
Yūrei grips the man’s arm and tells him, “Be careful. I want you back.”
Asuka bows to the king, then opens a portal to Inryoji Temple and steps through. The monks should be performing evening prayers to Buddha, yet there is silence. No young monk comes to greet him. Commander Ōtomo is making his way across the courtyard to the hidden court when he hears a man cry out in pain and the next minute the doors of the temple fling open and a man is thrown outside.
“How dear you attack a temple,” comes Tenjō’s young starved of emotions from inside the building. “This is a place of worship to Buddha not a place of battle.”
The Commander rushes over to the steps and trots up them to discover around twenty men are on the floor unable to move and the monks are splashing them with nice smelling oils.
The Kannushi is seated upon a slightly raised platform is an old man with no hair, a thin white moustache and beard, points his hand at the pinned men. “You all underestimated a god. Heavenly Warrior, you are welcome to do with them as you see fit for some of them were your own men.”
“Thank you, Nobu. Betraying your own lord is penalty of death. You should be thankful I do not practice those rules as I believe killing someone is immoral and completely wrong. For attacking an innocent temple is twenty-five years of hard labour in the Mine… No let's make that fifty years for also trying to kill a god.”
The man outside begins to come around, he rolls off his back and slowly picks himself up. He reaches for his Katana only to discover it is not there, for it is still embedded in the ceiling of the temple. A trembling hand grips the handle of the short sword, the man shakes his head in an attempt to make his vision less blurred. Then he charges up the steps into the temple and plunges the short sword at the god.
The monks and Commander Ōtomo fear the worst when they see drops of blood start to appear on the floor near Tenjō’s bare feet that are slightly floating above it. Then the attacker drops the floor and the Light One shakes his head in disappointment. “Foolish boy taking on a Soul Drinker is suicide for I already knew what you were going to do. That dart in the back of your hand will make you paralysed. You should be thankful I did not kill you.”
Asuka quickly removes his boots and trots over to the god to hear he is wheezing, he opens his cloth pouch, that hangs from the sheath of his Katana, and offers him a bundle of herbs. Tenjō’s lips form into a soft smile as he takes it placing it to his small nose.
“Heavenly Warrior, allow me to deal with them,” offers Commander Ōtomo.
“No need, for the police are arriving.”
Just at that moment a group of men, dressed in black Kimonos, come storming up the steps and remove their shoes before stepping inside to take a man between them. Then comes a cry for help from one of the outbuildings.
“Prince Masaharu,” announces Tenjō and runs out of the temple with the Commander and some police officers fast on his heels.
They all run over to the left hand building and enter to find the prince is holding a monk who has been severely injured, there is a pool of blood upon the floor and the monk is not responding. The smell of mortal blood makes the leader of the Yamato take a step back and place the herb bundle under his nose.
Asuka checks the young man to discover he has a weak pulse. “Here give him to me. I will take him to a Healer,” he offers, going on to pick up the monk.
Tenjō opens a portal to Yūrei’s town before he leaves the room coughing.
Commander Ōtomo quickly makes his way over to Doctor Okamoto’s place and just before he gets there the door opens and Guāngxiàn comes over to take the boy off him and takes him inside. He opens the monk’s robes exposing the stab wound to his stomach and begins to use his abilities to stop the bleeding. “It looks worse than it is,” he expresses, “the blade nicked a vein. He is going to be fine.”
“Thank goodness," sighs Asuka and collapses to his knees.
“Go, lad, and get some rest… Wait, where is Mèng?”
“I left him in the village bathing the enemy… I am out, I cannot return to him.”
“Ah, do not worry, he will be fine.”
The Commander nods for he knows the Healer is right. He bows to him as he rises and the doctor helps him to remove his blood soaked topcoat and Kimono. Then he makes way to the White Rabbit to settle down for the night.418Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Tft8jFtML
Meanwhile at the village Yūrei is staying at Bunny Magic, Madam Matsui has made sure he got a nice hot bath and one of her girls is with him brushing his hair. The Great Warrior’s pin sharp hearing homes in on a blade being drawn and the next moment he has a knife to his throat.
ns 15.158.61.54da2
