The Formation of the Party

The Sky above Bun'ya no Mura was blacker than night. The remains of the Whispering Dragon were strewn about the village, and fire lept from building to building. In the low light of the flames, people scurried about, frantically exiting buildings and running down streets.

Yume got up to her feet, brushing small rocks off of her shoulders. She leaned heavily on her staff. 'What have I done?,' she thought to herself. Bun'ya no Mura continued to burn around her.

A baby's cries could be heard from one of the burning buildings. A young woman, who Yume assumed to be her mother, clawed at a pile of charred wood that blocked the house's door. 

Yume clenched her staff tightly and exhaled. She thrust her staff high into the air.

"Hikari ga arimasu yō ni!," she shouted. With these words, a beam of lightning shot forth from her staff. The beam extended up to the Sky, striking the black covering and causing it to dissipate. Within seconds, the black covering disappeared like scum being cleaned from the surface of a pond, and the Sun's light returned to Bun'ya no Mura.

Yume spun the staff in her hands, then with a cry of "Ame o fura sero!," she raised it to the Sky again. Another bolt of lightning, this one blue, shot to the Sky. Gray clouds formed around the bolt of lightning, and rain began to pour down. The flames slowly wilted away under the power of the water.

Yume lowered her staff, leaning on it like a cane, and her gray cloak enveloped itself around her body. 

The woman pulled aside the charred wood and burst into her home. A few seconds later, she came out with an unharmed baby in her hands.

Yume smiled. Then the reality of what had just happened sank in, and her smile faded.

She knew in her heart that Jake truly meant what he said when he vowed to take Imawashī's place. The Mask would give him the power to do so, and Imawashī would be helpless. Yume briefly entertained the thought that Jake wouldn't be able to find his way to Kuroi Tochi, but realized this was a poor train of thought. The Mask knew much more than Jake did and would fill in any gaps in his knowledge and expertise. She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been. She'd thought to herself that Jake was an odd choice of Chosen One, what with Jake's quickness to anger and close-mindedness, but she'd brushed it aside. How could the Soothsayer's prophecy have been wrong?

The sound of shifting rocks snapped her out of her thoughts. A figure was rising up out of the pile of rubble that had until recently been the Whispering Dragon. This figure brushed some dust off of his shoulder and stretched out his neck. He was the samurai, and his armor was coated red with splinters and dust. "Achachachachach," he muttered quietly to himself. He bent down to pick his helmet out of the rubble and was struck so hard by a magic blast that he was sent flying thirty feet through the air.

He landed with a thud, launching dust in the air. Before he could make any sense of what had just happened, Yume raced forward and put her staff to his neck.

"You sold us out to Imawashī," she said.

The samurai struggled to get up, but Yume jammed his neck with her staff, pinning him to the ground. He began to sputter and choke.

"I should kill you for that," said Yume.

"It… was not… me," said the samurai, struggling for air.

"Why would I believe that?"

The samurai couldn't respond, he could only gasp for air. Yume's eyes glowed white, and magical energy arced around her hands and staff. She grimaced and prepared herself to cast a deadly spell.

Something flew into her face. Yume swatted at it a few times but stopped short. In front of her face was the butterfly, shining brightly even against the dark raincloud-filled sky. Yume stared at it with wide eyes. The butterfly hovered for a few moments, then flew away, past the rubble of the Whispering Dragon and back into the road. Yume raised her staff away from the samurai's neck, following the butterfly with her eyes.

The butterfly fluttered over to where the serow's body, held in midair by the black spikes Jake had attacked it with, was. Blood had pooled under its corpse. 

The butterfly fluttered around the serow in a circle. White sparkles appeared behind the butterfly, falling around the serow like snowflakes. The serow began to glow softly. The black spikes shrank away, chased off by the light. Free from these evil spikes, the serow rose up in the air. The serow glowed so brightly that it was now entirely white. 

The glowing white forms of the butterfly and the serow merged together in a ball of light. The snowflake-like sparkles fully enveloped them, then exploded outwards. Two enormous antlers extended out from the serow's head like trees, and where there had once been thick fur there was now tawny muscle. Two enormous wings, each about twice the size of the serow's body, spread out from its back. The wings were blue and colored with stripes of black and red just like those of the butterfly.

Yume stared at this new being with wide eyes. It was now a peryton, one of the great winged deer of eons past. Slowly, it fell to the floor. With wings spread and eyes glowing brightly, it stepped over, putting itself between Yume and the samurai. It narrowed its eyes and stared at Yume. 

Yume nodded her head and raised her hands. Her staff disappeared from her hand in a flash of light. The peryton snorted, then, with a long leap, fluttered off into the distance.

The samurai watched it fly away. Yume held a hand out to him.

The samurai simply looked at her like he was dizzy.

"What was that?," he asked.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen anything of the sort before in my life"

The samurai looked out over the rubble, trying to catch another glimpse of the peryton. It was gone.

"I think Chōra may be watching over us," said Yume.

The samurai hesitated, then took Yume's hand, allowing Yume to pull him up.

"Why are you not trying to kill me anymore?," he asked.

"You saw what just happened, right? When a magic serow/butterfly hybrid tells you not to kill someone, you listen. So," Yume pulled the samurai's helmet out of the rubble and handed it to him. "You say you didn't tell Imawashī that we were here. Explain that"

The samurai put his helmet on.

"Very well. I will tell you my tragic history--"

"In three paragraphs or less, I should hope," interrupted Yume. "I don't have all day"

The samurai nodded gravely. "My name is Akio Danuja, and I am a former Captain of the Imperial Samurai Legion of Kuroi Tochi. I was born thirty-four years ago to a father who was a poor farmer, and a woman who he had hired for the night. I became the link that kept them together, and so my first few years of life were spent in relative comfort. Then the First Blight came and–

"No offense, but that's not necessary. You said you were the former Captain? Tell me more about that"

"…well, I was conscripted into the Imperial Army as a footsoldier at fifteen--"

"No! I--look, I don't want to hear about your whole life story. I asked you a very simple question, and all I want is the answer to that question"

"Alright. I did not tell Imawashī that you were here because I have not spoken to him in nearly three years. I deserted"

Yume exhaled. "See, was that so hard?"

"Are you not curious as to why I abandoned the Samurai Legion?"

"Not really." Yume looked up at the Sky. The rainclouds were fading away, though a small drizzle was still blanketing the village. "I'm already running behind. I need to go take stock of the situation or something." Yume turned around and began to walk away.

"Wait!," Akio shouted. "Where are you going?"

"I just said! I'm taking stock!"

"Where?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I want to come with you!"

Yume whirled around to face him. "Why?"

Akio opened his mouth as if to speak, closed it, then raised a finger. "Imawashī is a being of pure evil," he said. "But that young man has the potential to become something much, much worse. See, I know the way Imawashī functioned. I know that, despite his ambitions and his anger, he was content to sit idly on his throne, letting his vast army wither in disuse. The new Wielder of the Mask will not do this. He will harness the power Imawashī has built, and he will combine it with that of the Mask. He will be sadistic, ruthless, and unstoppable. All of Chū Nihon, and perhaps all the lands beyond the Ocean will tremble beneath his heel"

Akio drew a longsword from his hip-mounted sheath and raised it to the Sky.

"When I fought for Imawashī, I was a brute, using my skills and knowledge for conquest and bloodshed. But in my heart, I knew that this path was not that of the righteous. I am a samurai, and as a samurai, I must do what I can to restore honor to myself, even if that means marching on the gates of Kuroi Tochi and challenging the new Maskbearer and his army myself!"

He frowned seriously. Yume smiled wryly at him.

"Alright, alright. Put the sword away before you hurt yourself. You're in, but you should know that I don't plan on going to Kuroi Tochi"

Akio sheathed his sword. "But if you are not going to defeat the new Wielder of the Mask, then where are you going?"

"To the Great Temple of the Order of the Twenty-Four Wizards. Hopefully, I can convince them to fight alongside--or instead of--me"

"Well, with your permission, I will accompany you! The wilds are dangerous, so it is best not to travel alone"

"It really shouldn't be that eventful," Yume said. "We're just taking a boat down the River of the Yōkai"

Akio looked at her strangely. "Are you not aware that the River of the Yōkai is impassable? There is a blockade of troops from Kuroi Tochi right about…"

He pulled a large map of Yatakana Tochi's former lands from his pocket and pointed to a spot on the River of the Yōkai.

"…here. I visited them recently to raid them for supplies. It is a formidable fighting force. There are about five-hundred footsoldiers (both human and orc), a hundred or so onis, and a platoon of samurai. They are led by the great Captain Haneda, who I knew once. He was–"

"I get it. Damn"

Yume sat down on a table, which was slightly scuffed but still intact. Dominoes littered the floor at her feet.

"If that's true, then we'll have to take a detour through the Valley of the Terrible Lizards"

Akio looked off into the distance.

"That is an ill omen. I have never walked through those lands"

"I haven't either. The rumors I've heard have kept me out. To my knowledge, those lands have never been charted. We'd basically be making it up as we go along"

"And that, my friends, is where I come in," said a voice.

Standing atop a particularly tall pile of rubble was a woman, with her hands placed confidently on her hips. She was rather short, the sort of person who could be confused with a child at a quick glance, and she wore an ornate orange robe with brown stripes and red flowers.

"Who are--," Yume began to ask.

"Call me Haia," said the woman. She hopped down closer to Yume and Akio, and bowed slightly. "I apologize, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. All this business with stopping this Maskbearer and all… it sounds so interesting! Definitely much more so than the gaming scene in this small town"

Yume thought there was something strange about her. Maybe it was her eyes, which seemed a little too big, or maybe it was the odd, catlike way that she approached them. Maybe it was her ornately designed robe, which seemed a bit too expensive for a small town like Bun'ya no Mura. 

"Well, I am sure we would appreciate all the help we can get! Is that not right, Yume?," said Akio.

Yume's eyes darted between them. It suddenly occurred to her that she virtually had no idea who these people were.

"Honestly--," she began.

"I know what you're going to say," interrupted Haia. "'Why is this crazy bitch I just met suddenly so interested?' Well, see, I happen to love the land of Chū Nihon, and I like to be able to do whatever I like with my life, which I'm quite confident would be much more difficult if this… his name is Jeiku, right?" 

"Well… well, yeah"

"If this Jeiku took over the world. Also, you'll need a guide to get you through the Valley of the Terrible Lizards. I know that place by heart"

"Wonderful!," said Akio. Yume scrunched her face up.

"Really?," she said.

"Yes!," said Haia. "Look at this." She reached into the neck of her robe and pulled a necklace of claws from within. "These are the famed beauties that gave the Terrible Claws their names. I yanked them out myself when I lived down there"

"You lived down there?," asked Akio, astonished.

"Yeah, for about four years. It's a rough life, but I hoped that I could find a good haul of jewels." She sighed. "Turns out the legend that the Valley is full of diamonds and gold is an old wives's tale, but I got these sick claws"

She plucked a claw off of her necklace and slashed the air. "They double as weapons in a pinch!"

Yume sighed heavily. The rainclouds she had summoned were clearing up, allowing the Sun to finally reappear. The people of the village were peeking curiously from their homes. Curious glances began to drift their way. 

"Alright," she said. "Come with me. I have a contact at the River of the Yōkai. He'll take us to the Neverending Falls, which we'll then use to get down to the Valley. It'll be in your hands then, Haia"

Haia nodded her head and smiled. Yume thought her smile was a bit too wide.

"I can get you anywhere! I know the Valley like the back of my hand"

Yume nodded slowly. "Let's go. I don't like standing around doing nothing"

Yume sauntered off. Haia slinked after her.

"Give me one second, please," said Akio. He pulled an ocarina out of a pouch in his armor and blew into it. He played a simple seven-note melody, which tickled the ear and caused the stomach to flutter. After playing his song, he put the ocarina back in his pouch.

A few moments passed. Just when Yume was about to ask why he'd done this, a tall, four-legged creature galloped into the village. It was charcoal-black and had glowing orange hair that flowed from its neck like flames. It had long hooved legs like a deer, but it was taller and seemed stronger.

It came to a stop next to Akio. To Yume and Haia's surprise, he swung his legs over it and mounted it.

"What sort of animal is that?," asked Yume. "It's not like anything I've ever seen"

"It is an odd animal, is it not?," said Akio. "Imawashī spent a great deal of time abroad, past the great Northern Sea. He found many animals of the sort that have never been seen in Chū Nihon before and brought some of them back to his Castle Fortress in Kuroi Tochi. This was one of them. Imawashī called it a unicorn"

Haia gently stroked the animal's shoulders. "Does it have a name?," she asked.

"Ikkakujū," he answered. Ikkakujū whinnied and shook its head.

"Very well, I am now ready. Let us go onwards!" With that, he tugged on Ikkakujū's reins. Ikkakujū trotted forward. Haia skipped after him. Yume stood in place, watching them go. Perhaps, she thought, recruiting two strangers to help her on her journey to the Order's Temple was a bad idea. Perhaps these people would prove to be just as unreliable as Jake. She sighed. Then again, she thought, she didn't really have many alternatives at the moment. Besides, the threat of Jake with the power of the Mask was so impossible to fight against that the outcome wouldn't be too different regardless of what she did.

Yume found this sentiment oddly liberating.

She shuffled after her new party, and together they left Bun'ya no Mura.

When they reached the banks of the River of the Yōkai, they found Namiko playing hopscotch in the mud. He was softly singing a song to himself.

Usagī oishī ka no yama

Kobuna tsurishi ka no kawa

Yume wa ima no megurite

Wasure getaki furusato

He heard the Party's approaching footsteps and jerked his head around. He shyly sat down on a log's stump. Haia smiled at him.

"Are you ready to go, Great Wizard?"

"Yup. This is the Party." She turned her head left and right, scanning the River. "Where's the boat you promised me?"

"It's right nearby, just give me a minute." He hopped off the log and splashed into the river.

Yume closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Don't you think it's a bit immoral to take advantage of a kappa like that?," asked Haia.

Yume scrunched up her face.

"Hey, you and I literally just met twenty minutes ago. I don't need your judgment. Besides, it's not like I'm going to make him jump off a cliff or anything. I--rather we--need a boat to get to the Neverending Falls. As soon as we get there, I'll let him go back to his kappa family or whatever"

"You should be careful, Wizard. You shouldn't abuse the power of Yōkai. You may find that they are just as good at taking advantage of loopholes as you are"

"I… I really can't deal with you right now. You realize that I could just leave without you two, right?"

"Us three," corrected Akio. "Do not forget Ikkakujū." Ikkakujū exhaled small streams of fire from his nose.

A large mountain rose up from under the water's surface. Gallons of water slid off its scaly back, revealing it to be a massive turtle. Its shell was flat and had a small captain's cabin jutting out of it. A lake weed-covered steering wheel was just in front of the cabin. On the turtle's other end was its big beaked head, where Namiko was sitting.

Namiko patted the turtle's head, and a small ramp extended out from the turtle's shell to the riverbank. 

"Okay, all aboard, everyone! This is Ōkina Funekame. She's a really reliable turtle-boat, so we probably shouldn't crash or anything"

Namiko walked down the turtle's head to the shell/deck. Yume and Haia walked aboard easily, while Ikkakujū gingerly stepped across with Akio still on his back.

"Hey, sir, you can tie your fire deer here if you like," said Namiko, pointing to a short fence-like growth on Ōkina's shell.

"Why thank you, kind yōkai." Akio hopped off Ikkakujū's back and pulled a rope from a pocket.

"Okay, so there's a seat in the captain's cabin, but I'm gonna be there, so I'll take out the tatamis that you can use if you want to sit down," said Namiko.

"You're such a sweet little boy," said Haia. 

Namiko's cheeks turned red.

"Are you guys all ready?," he asked.

"Yes. Let's go!," said Yume.

"Okay! Iku, Ōkina, iku!," he shouted. With a big heave, Ōkina pushed forward through the water. The waves sloshed and splashed around her shell as her fins pushed her forward down the river.

Yume looked out over the river, seeing the Sun shine down brightly from its midday height. It reflected brightly on the water's surface and bathed the green tops of the trees surrounding them. In the far distance, beyond where anyone else would have been able to notice, was the peryton, prancing and flitting about just above the surface of the water. Yume blinked, and it was gone.

"This better work out," she mumbled to herself.

The sound of Ōkina plowing through the river was the only sound the Party heard as they sailed forward to their new, albeit uncertain destiny.