The Open Road Read online

  The second guard threw open one of the inn’s screen doors. He was about to raise the alarm when steel flashed behind him. The man fell, cut down by Kuno’s sword.

  Kuno and Sano Moko emerged from the inn. Kuno raced forward and cut away the silk webs that pinned Sura to the wall. Sano Moko came carrying a robe each for Sura and for Chiri. The two animal spirits hastily threw the robes about themselves, flashing glances back along the road. It stood empty. No forest people had heard the fight.

  The group gathered about the beautiful giant green spider that now sat miserably nearby, cradling the baby. The spider looked up at them all – shimmered – and transformed into a naked young woman.

  Kimiko.

  She hunched, weeping, holding the baby against her heart. Tonbo gently covered her with a robe. Kneeling beside her, he rested a gentle hand upon her shoulders.

  Kimiko could only hang her head in shame.

  “Forgive me. I was too cowardly to help you…”

  Chapter 5

  The Spirit Hunters and Sano Moko swiftly recovered their equipment from the inn. Hastily pulling on armour, the samurai tied their tassets to stop them from rattling. Carrying their weapons and backpacks, they ran over to Sura via the shadows that fell across the village street. The fox kept them all in cover, well out of sight of the forest eaves. She ushered everyone back inside Kimiko’s hut, checked that the streets remained still, then quietly closed the door.

  The fox pulled on her clothing and breastplate, gratefully taking her spear from Tonbo’s hand.

  Chiri sat with Kimiko. Together they carefully slit open the protective silk wrapped about the baby. It had hardened to a warm, waterproof sheet – perfect for sheltering the infant from the cold. The two elementals checked the baby, but all seemed well. Even Daitanishi seemed to approve.

  Kimiko bowed ashamedly to her visitors.

  “Please try to forgive me – but we have lived in fear for so long.” Kimiko put a hand against her heart. “As you can see, the people of my village are Kumo.”

  Sano Moko pushed back her helmet and gave a frown.

  “Kumo”?

  Chiri turned politely to Moko.

  “Spider folk. One of the sacred animal clans, like the rats, crows and foxes.” The rat bowed to Kimiko in apology. “Forgive us for not recognising your people immediately, Kimiko san.”

  Sano Moko looked dubiously down at Kimiko.

  “So you are spiders – like those outside the village?”

  Kimiko was immediately and forcefully adamant.

  “No, samurai san. We are Kumo – we belong in this kind green world. We are as much a part of it as humanity.” The spider spirit spoke with sad, clear pride. “We are artists. Weavers and embroiderers. Our silks are the most beautiful in the land. The emperor himself sent my husband a sword to thank him for our efforts.” Kimiko looked bitterly off towards the village shrine. “The others – they are Dokufu. Stone spiders. They have invaded and enslaved us.”

  The woman sat with her head hanging, resting one hand quietly upon the baby. Sura moved to sit beside her, looking thoughtfully back towards the shrine.

  “Stone spiders. Twisted earth spirits from the Realm of Slaughter.” The fox nudged at Daitanishi. “No wonder Chiri’s earth elemental is terrified. These things are a rock spirit’s nightmare.”

  Kimiko gave a sigh. She quietly flexed her hands.

  “The Dokufu arrived amongst us three years ago. They were subtle at first. They claimed to be Kumo from a far island, driven here when their homes were destroyed by storm. They settled in the forest, and seemed to thrive.”

  Kimiko’s eyes were haunted.

  “For us, it was as though some strange curse had come over us. The fields seemed drained of life. The very young and the very old all seemed to wither away…” The spider spirit ran one fine, pale hand across her eyes. Her voice filled with sadness. “My… my eldest sister died in childbirth two years ago. Since then, no baby born to us has survived. It is the curse of the dark ones. They seek to replace all of our kind with their own.”

  Kimiko sat very still.

  “My father died. Priestess Toriē tried to take over as our leader, but my husband had far greater support. He became our headman, and grew suspicious of this village in the woods. There was something happening here – some great, vast labour he could not discover. Finally, he went into the forest to hunt for Priestess Toriē’s secret – and never returned.” Her voice was quiet and hollow. “They killed him.”

  The spider spirit looked down at her hands.

  “When we uncovered their true identity, we tried to fight. But they were too strong. Our weapons skipped from their hides like willow wands. The Dokufu burned our village and dragged us here, where we serve them as slaves.”

  Kuno knelt down beside her.

  “What is this festival, Kimiko san? What are these beings hoping to achieve?”

  The spider spirit stared at the floor.

  “Now they covet our own world. How they came here, we do not know – but they plan to colonise the mortal realm.” Kimiko looked up to Kuno and Sura. “Last year, we saw the reason for their labours. The Dokufu have made a gateway to their home realm. A gate that can only open in the first new moon after harvest. Behind the gate is their queen.”

  Kimiko swallowed. But her shoulders had become straight. She no longer stared at the ground.

  “They plan to seize travellers such as yourselves, and sacrifice them to their queen. The queen will fill the victims with hundreds of eggs, and release the victims back into this world. The young gestate inside the victims, then burst forth. In this way, they plan to spread their evil kind all through the realm!” Kimiko looked sickened. “They have made tests upon two victims. One man escaped – but the other incubated their young. The spiders you see in the forest are the result of just that one host! This year, they intend to infect all of you! The Dokufu will be born in their thousands.”

  Kuno flicked a glance to Sura, then turned back to Kimiko.

  “Is the queen the only one capable of laying eggs?”

  “They have only one, Kuno san. Maturing to a queen takes hundreds of years.” Kimiko leaned earnestly forward. “The giant spiders in the forest are immature. In a year, they will grow their stony skins and the ability to change shape – and they will have skills and memories drained from their hosts! The Dokufu will be able to infiltrate the empire and destroy it. Other living beings will become nothing but hosts, bred like cattle to serve as incubators for their queen!”

  Kitsune Sura rolled back her sleeves.

  “OK – the Dokufu just topped my list!” The fox looked to Kimiko in puzzlement. “But why were you trying to steal away our baby?”

  Kimiko looked away.

  “I am no longer brave, Sura san. The bravest of us died and were sucked dry by the Dokufu.” She kept a protective hand over the baby. “The priestess will use little Saburo as a sacrifice to open the gate. Forgive me. I could see no way to save you. Had I warned you, the Dokufu would have slain us all! But I thought – that perhaps I might be able to take little Saburo and somehow take him past the demon spiders to safety.”

  Tonbo bowed solemnly to Kimiko.

  “We are grateful for your efforts on Saburo’s behalf.”

  Chiri nodded. The gentle rat placed one pale pink hand upon Kimiko’s own.

  “I think you are very brave, Kimiko san.”

  The rat looked up to her friends, whiskers shimmering in the gloom. Her pink eyes were filled with concern.

  “What are we to do?”

  The others scowled. Suddenly Sano Moko banged the butt of her naginata against the floor. She faced the others with a stiff, military bow.

  “We must destroy the Dokufu and their gate, even at the cost of our own lives. It is our duty to the empire!”

  Sura lounged back against the wall. She was twiddling her toes in thought.

  “Easier said than done…”

  The fox was already schemi
ng. It was always an interesting process to watch. Sano Moko would have spoken, but Tonbo signalled her to silence. Sura looked off to the distance, making some sort of calculations. She stroked at her snout for a moment, then cocked an eye at Kimiko.

  “Kimiko san. Where is this gate of theirs?”

  “In the deep forest, Sura san, at the bottom of a dry gorge. They have carved great wooden posts and painted them with blood.”

  Sura scratched at her furry snout. “Is it far?’

  “Perhaps a thousand paces beyond the clearing, Sura san. But the Dokufu’s young would slaughter us all.”

  Tonbo nodded thoughtfully, cradling his tetsubo.

  “With the Kumo’s help, we can fight the ones here in the village.”

  Kimiko gave an apologetic bow.

  “We Kumo have no weapons, Tonbo san – and our fangs are too weak to penetrate the hides of the Dokufu. The spiders in the forest would attack and overwhelm us.”

  Sura gave a great, expressive twirl of her tail.

  “Fire…” The fox sucked thoughtfully upon a fang. “Kimiko san, do the Dokufu truly fear fire?”

  “Yes, Sura san. They will not even cook for themselves or light a lamp.”

  Sura looked meaningfully over to Tonbo, who rose and left the hut without a word. He returned some minutes later with a leg from the dead stone spider.

  Sura had kindled a fire in the hearth, leaning over and eagerly fanning the flames. She reached out for the spider leg, and Tonbo set the hideous thing in her hands. Sura rapped upon the leg – it was damned heavy, the armour seeming as solid as quartz.

  The fox propped the leg over the flames. She stoked the fire and fanned enthusiastically at the coals. Flames licked at the armour, while the fox lay flat to examine the underside of the leg. She was utterly delighted when the armour suddenly split with a loud, unholy crack.

  “Ha!”

  The armour shattered, crumbling from the spider’s flesh. Kuno gave a nod of satisfaction.

  “That is why they fear fire.”

  Sano Moko looked at each of the Spirit Hunters, then glared irritably at Sura.

  “That is all very nice – but how do we destroy thirty adult Dokufu, and hundreds of giant spiders? How do we destroy the gate? And how do we cross a thousand paces of that forest without being slain?”

  Sura was thinking. He face was set and grim.

  “There are more ways than one to move between locations, Sano san.” The fox set her shoulders. “I will need to prepare, or the effort will kill me.”

  Kitsune Sura looked to Kimiko.

  “When will this festival occur?”

  “Tomorrow morning – the instant the new moon rises. The Dokufu plan to seize you and wrap you in cocoons for transport to the gate.”

  “Then you must ask your villagers to help us.” Sura gave a formal bow. “We can save the world, but only if the Kumo will help us, Kimiko san.”

  The spider bowed proudly in return.

  “It shall be done.”

  Kimiko arose. She crossed quietly to a neighbouring hut, where several of her fellow villagers lay asleep. She began to awaken them quietly, whispering into their ears. Kuno rose and watched her at her work, approving of the woman’s quiet dedication.

  Behind him, Tonbo turned to Sura. The big samurai considered the fox thoughtfully.

  “What do you mean to do, Sura san?”

  Sura took firm hold of the haft of her spear.

  “I will open a gateway to another realm, step through, cross a thousand paces and then open another gateway out again. We transfer all of the brandy we can – all the oil – everything! And we prepare a trap for the Dokufu at their gorge. The Kumo will have to help.”

  There was a long pause.

  Chiri stared at Sura, absolutely appalled.

  “Sura san! We will be entering another realm?”

  Sano Moko felt quite lost. Kuno, Chiri and Tonbo were clearly aghast at Sura’s plan. Moko turned from face to face in confusion.

  “The plan sounds excellent! We bypass the forest spiders! What could go wrong?”

  Kuno turned. He watched Kimiko quietly assembling her fellow villagers.

  “If the effort does not kill Sura, we all still stand a chance of being trapped forever in another realm.”

  Sura quietly settled her sleeves and smoothed back her fur.

  “It can be done.”

  She set herself into position to meditate and clear her mind.

  “Trust me. I’m a fox.”

  There was no levity in her voice. Sura closed her eyes and put her hands into her lap, forming a little yin-yang symbol with her thumbs and fingers.

  The others moved away, walking quietly out into the weaving yard. They gathered beside the looms to confer.

  Tonbo looked thoughtfully at some of the rakes and staves stored at the rear half of the shed.

  “We have an hour.” He picked up a wooden staff and tried it for heft.

  “Find out what hunting weapons and tools these people have, and arm them.”

  Kuno and Moko bowed. They moved off to talk to Kimiko and her villagers.

  Left alone in the courtyard, Chiri looked over to Sura, but could see no way to help. The rat gathered her elementals up and walked over to the edge of the huts.

  It was a still, silent night filled with menace. Chiri settled down to keep a careful watch upon the streets and shadows.

  The first slight, grey hint of pre-dawn light outlined the tips of the forest trees. In those around the village perimeter, giant spiders stirred. It would be moonrise soon. The spiders sensed it, searching restlessly up towards the sky.

  The Dokufu and their priestess were all busy inside their temple, performing their long, intricate devotions. Guards were posted at the shrine gate, but otherwise all was still and quiet. No Dokufu ventured out into the village. Bifuuko and Daitanishi kept careful watch over the shrine, hidden above upon village rooves.

  Sano Moko and Kuno stole out into the open, keeping a careful watch for trouble. Kuno’s bared sword shimmered with ghostly orange light, as did Moko’s naginata blade, thanks to fire elementals Chiri had bound into the steel. The two armoured samurai moved into a back street, made certain that the coast was clear, then signalled to the others just behind them.

  Massively armoured and with another fire elemental rippling inside his iron staff, Tonbo strode out into the street. He led a brave swarm of male Kumo villagers, all armed with felling axes, home-made spears and long poles tipped with bundles of oily rags. Tonbo led his men quietly off down the street, and took them to the shed with its great pile of brandy barrels.

  A Dokufu guard sat, dozing, supposedly guarding the barrels. The man gave a start and half came to his feet. Tonbo never broke stride, smashing the man down with one titanic blow of his tetsubo. He shoved the body aside, clearing the way for the barrels to be dragged out of the shed.

  The Kumo manhandled the huge barrels out of their pile, rolling them off towards the huts. Tonbo heaved entire barrels down from the upper row single-handed, passing them to the villagers who trundled them away.

  Kuno crouched down behind the cover of a wall, keeping guard. A young Kumo man was with him – a man armed with a spear made from sharpened bamboo. Kuno leaned in to the man to whisper in puzzlement.

  “Kumo san! Why is there so much brandy? The Dokufu could never drink this much in a thousand incarnations!”

  The young villager kept a nervous eye upon the rooftops.

  “It is not for them, samurai. It is a sip of refreshment for their queen.”

  Kuno looked at the vast barrels – there were more than forty of them. He blinked as he realised the sheer volume of brandy.

  The Dokufu queen must be a monster indeed…!

  Inside her hut, Kimiko had placed the baby in a sling about her chest. Three dozen female villagers had assembled. Many carried rough-made hunting bows, while others bore bundles of rag poles and bamboo spears. All kept an anxious watch out through window
shutters for the Dokufu. As the brandy barrels began to arrive in the weaving yard, the women raced about to help the men.

  Sura made some last adjustments to her attire. She had ritually washed her sandals from a dipper of water, and now wore her suikan robe and tall, formal eboshi cap. A long line of braided silk cord had been prepared, and lanterns each fitted with three candles. A fire elemental danced and shimmered within her spear. Still in her half-animal form, Sura strode slowly down into the courtyard – a figure so regal and powerful that the Kumo bowed to her in astonishment as she passed.

  Chiri was tired. The effort of summoning and binding elementals for her friends had worn her down. But the rat brushed her fur and tied back her hair. Daitanishi and Bifuuko flitted down to join her as she followed Sura out into the yard.

  Lanterns gleamed. Kitsune Sura stood surrounded by the Kumo villagers, with Chiri, Tonbo, Kuno and Sano Moko all nearby. Four dozen massive brandy barrels were ready to roll. The fox turned, spear blazing in her hand, and faced her companions.

  “I am opening a hole into the Realm of Shadow.”

  The fox met the startled eyes of the Kumo with her own green gaze.

  “The shadow world is a reflection of our own. Creatures there will try and take shapes to deceive you. Keep a hold of the guide line – run it through your belt. Stop your ears with silk. Do not look at anything except the trail I mark with my spear. There is nothing in there that does not want to suck out your bone marrow for use as an aperitif.” The fox looked at the villagers in calm confidence.

  “Stay inside the wards, and you will be safe.”

  Sura turned. She swept her spear back, and power began to seethe inside her.

  “The pure of heart now stands before you.

  With pure intent we make our stride.

  Now we pass from places mortal.