Kusanagi Part 2

11
Chang, Reese, and Hakuro spent the next two days gathering equipment and supplies (Reese using her “technical” skills), finding a suitable aircraft, and planning the overall trip. On the third day, they left for the jungle.
***

In the air port once again, Hakuro thought. The frozen benches sent splinters into his skin. Hakuro felt uncomfortable in his black, sky diving suit. Reese seemed to be jittery, twitching and moving around every few seconds.

Hakuro’s pagecom beeped. “ Yes?” Hakuro said, turning on the screen.

“The equipment is loaded,” Chang said. The old cargo warplane’s rear closed behind him. “We have permission to leave in two hours. I will make the appropriate preparations for take off.”

Hakuro looked at Reese. The closer to take off, the more she seemed to fidget.

“Ever been on a plane?” Hakuro asked her.

“No,” she said.

On the other side of the airport, Hakuro saw something he wasn’t expecting- Koritsuka officer. Hakuro didn’t know too much about them, only that the Sakoku Party hired them as personal bodyguards. There presence meant only one thing, trouble.

“We should go,” Hakuro said, standing.

“Go?” Reese looked panicked. “Now?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

“But we have another two hours,” Reese said. Hakuro led her toward the airstrip. At the gate, a police officer stopped them.

“Are you Reese Jones?” He asked.

“No, I’m-“

“Uh… Reese!” Hakuro hissed. He pointed to her wanted poster behind the officer.

“Reese Jones, you are wanted by the police on criminal charges,” the cop said.

“Come with me.”

“Officer, we have to catch a plane,” Reese said. “It’s urgent!”

Suddenly, a bullet whizzed by Hakuro and hit the police officer in the head. He fell to the ground. Hakuro grabbed Reese and ran behind the pick-up counter. People screamed and ran toward the exits. Bullets grazed the counter’s surface. Reese reached into her pants and pulled out a gun.

“Who am I firing at?” Reese asked him.

“Koritsuka officers. They’re wearing black and red sniper uniforms.” A bullet whizzed by the top of his head. “You’re not going to kill them are you?”

“They’re trying to kill us!” Reese started to fire. “Got one. They’re coming this way!”

Police and security officers quickly joined the fray, apprehending a few Koritsuka.

“Put you’re guns down!” an officer yelled.

Hakuro looked around. He grabbed a broom and broke the brush off it. “Keep firing! How many are there?”

“A dozen! Four are down.”

“How many yards away are they?”

“Fifteen yards.” Reese said.

Hakuro waited a couple of seconds, and then he leaped onto the counter, flipped over the attacking men’s heads, and landed behind them. He kicked one in the back and hit another with the broomstick. Reese jumped over the counter and joined the fight, kicking a man in the head. Chaos quickly followed, with the police and security officers taking down as many people as they could get at, including civilians, who had decided to join in.

“Reese! Make your way to the air field!” Hakuro yelled, trying to dodge as many people as possible. A Koritsuka punched Hakuro in the jaw, throwing him on his back. The man took out a knife and ran at Hakuro. Hakuro swung his stick, only to have a miscellaneous bullet break it in half. Reese snatched a suitcase and smacked a man in the head. He fell to the ground. She took out her pocketknife and threw it into another officer’s head. Hakuro still fought his assailant for the knife, its point dangerously close to his neck. He jammed his knee into his attacker’s crotch. The man doubled over in pain. Hakuro seized the knife, and then hit the man in the head with the broom until he was unconscious.

Another swarm of Koritsuka officers entered the airport.

“We have to get out of here!” Hakuro yelled. He grabbed Reese and ran out to the airfield. The Koritsuka chased them, followed by the police and security officers. Reese grabbed Hakuro and pulled him onto a luggage car. She grabbed the driver’s keys, threw the driver out and started driving. Three Koritsuka officers boarded a luggage car as well, and a security officer came after them on a motorcycle.

“Stop the vehicle immediately!” the security officer yelled through a megaphone.

One of the Koritsuka fired at Hakuro’s car. The car spun out of control, nearly hitting a motorcyclist, who crashed into a plane. Reese began to drive backwards. They passed the Koritsuka luggage car, then did a three sixty to face the direction of their plane.

“Crazy driver!” Hakuro yelled at Reese.

“First time I’ve ever driven!”

The Koritsuka’s car followed them again. Hakuro started throwing luggage in their path. The car crashed, dumping out the people. They started firing at Hakuro’s car. One of the tires popped. The car started spinning again. When it came to a stop, they discovered themselves an inch from hitting their plane.

Lieutenant Chang opened the door to the cargo bay. Hakuro and Reese ran up the ladder into the passenger area.

“Start the engine!” Hakuro yelled.

“Why are they firing at us?” Chang yelled back.

“I’ll explain later! Just go!”

Chang started the engine as Hakuro and Reese got into their seats. Hakuro could hear bullets bouncing off the side of the plane.

“Stop this plane immediately!” the control tower crackled though the radio. “You don’t have permission to leave!”

Chang tuned the radio off. The plane started to move and Chang piloted it to the runway. Security officers were trying to block the plane’s path with luggage cars.

“We’re not going to make it!” Hakuro yelled.

“Oh yes we are.” Chang increased the speed.

“The runway’s too short!”

“Who’s the pilot, me or you?”

Hakuro braced himself for a crash. Reese held on to her armrest, her eyes closed tightly. She recited a Christian prayer. Just before they hit the blockade, the plane lifted off the ground. It leaned slightly to the left, but remained airborne.

“We’re in the air,” Hakuro gasped. Reese sat frozen to her seat; her eyes held tightly shut. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid.” Hakuro laughed.

“I’m not afraid, just a little tense.”

“I have some sleeping pills up here,” Chang said. “You can sleep all the way, and if you don’t fall asleep, at least you’ll be too doped up to be afraid.”

“I’m not taking sleeping pills,” Reese said.

“Then why don’t you open your eyes and relax?” Hakuro said.

Reese didn’t answer. Hakuro got out of his seat, picked up the sleeping pills and a water bottle, and gave them to Reese. Reese took the pills, then fell asleep ten minutes later.

“Now, about those men chasing you,” Chang said.

“They’re rivals of the political party I work for.”

“What is so important that they want you dead?” Chang asked. “Surely a sword isn’t that important.”

“I don’t know.” Hakuro said. “I don’t know.”

12
“Councilor Yarama,” The Chinese police chief said from Yarama’s telescreen. “We have apprehended a few suspects whom we believe caused the explosion at the Sun Rise Hotel and also caused a riot at the Laishan Airport.”

“Really?”

“Yes, they are members of the Koritsuka Squadron.”

“Koritsuka Squadron!” Yarama sat bolt up right.

“You know this group?”

“Yes, they are terrorists against my party.” Yarama stated. “By all means try to apprehend them all.”

“Yes sir.” The police chief broke off his connection to the telescreen.

“Sir,” Yarama’s female aid asked, “Don’t the Koritsuka Squadron work for the Sakoku Party?”

“Yes, so they do. Ms. Ichikawa,” Yarama said, turning toward his aid. “I have a little assignment for you.”
***
Reese watched a parachute carry the supply box to the prairie land below.

“We’re next,” Hakuro said.

Reese’s eyes grew wide and she started to tremble. She clung to Hakuro and began to hyperventilate. Because of Reese’s fear of heights, it was decided that Hakuro and Reese would tandem jump. Hakuro would pull the parachute cord, and land them safely.

“Remember,” Chang called to them. “Send me a transmission every day. If you don’t, I will assume you’re in trouble, or dead. It will help me keep track of you’re location. I will be staying at an Arabian airport, considering we are more than likely unwelcome at any nearby.”

“Right,” Hakuro said. “Adieu, Chang.” Hakuro jumped. Reese screamed and began to cry. They landed into a freezing ocean of roaring wind. The wind screamed louder than Reese and ripped at their clothes like a violent storm. The world was a large green blur beneath them as they fell at a colossal speed. Hakuro remained calm, but felt exhilarated. He waited until it was the right time to pull the cord. When their speed stopped increasing, Hakuro pulled. The parachute came out like a spider’s thread and expanded like a balloon. Then, with a jolt, they were pulled upward.

“Look at the view,” Hakuro said, staring in awe. The midday sun caste a ray of light on the vast, verdant jungle. The jungles immense size dwarfed the biggest cities. Enormous mountains dominated the land and a river weaved through them like a small child trying to get through a crowd. Hakuro could just make out the southeastern villages and temples, which lived at the mercy of the savage jungle around them. The jungle stood before Hakuro, a boundless natural fortress, it’s riches yet unconquered. Hakuro decided he would be the jungles first conqueror.
“Reese, look.”

Reese peered at the landscape. Hakuro felt her body relax slightly. Hakuro used the ropes to stir them to the ground.

“That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” Hakuro said to Reese as they unattached their parachute.

“Easy for you to say,” Reese muttered. She leaned over and promptly threw up.
Hakuro typed a code into the boxes keypad. The top and right side, both connected to each other, fell to the ground. The rest followed.

“Opened easy enough,” Hakuro said.

They started to separate their equipment. The largest objects in the box were two aircycles, which Reese and Hakuro would ride. The cycles looked like robotic seahorses with extended ears. They could fly above the ground and go speeds up to 60 miles per hour. The rest of the supplies they loaded onto the cycles or put into two backpacks. Their supplies included a GPS system, an automatic mapping system, a transmitter box, a small inflatable tent, roll-up sleeping bags, a supply tarp, a mess kit, food, water filter, a first aid kit, an inflatable raft, archeology tools and an array of light-weight weapons.

“Where did you find the dagger exactly?” asked Hakuro.

“At the fork where the river branches,” Reese said, “There are ruins just outside of the flood plain.”

Hakuro and Reese got on the cycles, and sped into the jungle.

“Almost there,” Her voice came from the com-link in Hakuro’s helmet.

“It’s so empty.” Hakuro thought, referring to his isolation from civilization. The moisture filled air had the density of mist at the bottom of a waterfall. It clung like glue, covering their bodies in a sticky, sweaty mess. Trees hundreds of years old, and many forty feet in diameter, stood like guards to the ancient mountains. In the understory, where light could still be seen, birds whistled and sang as they looked for food. In the canopy, monkeys screeched and chased each other. A sloth inched his way from tree to tree. Giant insects acted like the annoying pests they are, buzzing around and threatening to bite. Snakes crawled under their feet, through the dead leaves and roots. Hakuro had expected the forest to be dense with vegetation, but this wasn’t so. Plants only grew around the river where sunlight reached. Outside the river, the huge trees blocked out the sun, preventing most plants from growing. Logs and termite mounds were the only obstacles they needed to look out for.

Hakuro and Reese got off their cycles and leaned them against a tree. Hakuro surveyed the ruins that Reese had led him to. Moss and lichen coated the concrete walls like paste. Two of the buildings stood out from the rest. They were huge, round structures that looked like storage containers. All the other buildings, five that Hakuro could see, were a quarter the size, or maybe smaller, than the large buildings and had more damage to their walls. All the buildings sat on a manmade hill.

“Let’s go in,” Hakuro said.

“We should be careful,” Reese said. “Leopards could be living inside. Some types of fungus spores can also make you sick if you inhale them.”

Reese took out two air filters and two phasers from her pack, and then they both put the small air filters in their nose.

Reese pointed. “Those two large structures are filled with water. The water is, or was piped somewhere. There’s also what looks like computers in the smaller buildings, but I can’t read the panels.”

Reese led Hakuro to the nearest building.

“There’s some old tools and other objects,” Reese said. “No people though. Looks like they just got up and left. There appears to be an elevator in this one.”

“I think you’re right,” Hakuro said. “The script is a strange combination of Thai and old Mongolian.” Hakuro translated the panels the best he could. “There are two levels below us, the tram level, and the maintenance level. This could be the way to the underground city.”

“Well, then let’s see if there’s a way to get down.”

13
Blackness surrounded Chang like a fog. Ropes cut into his skin and held him to a cold, metal chair. The gag in his mouth tasted like rotten cereal. He could hear his abductors pacing around the room, circling like vultures waiting for their prey.
What a way to spend my vacation, Chang thought. Yes Chang, go to Egypt and see the pyramids. I don’t know which is worse, being stuck in the sandstorm outside or stuck inside with guns pointed at my head.

The rug door lifted, letting some light in and plenty of dust. An oriental woman with long black hair, wearing a tight red and black jumpsuit entered the room. “Set up a light in here,” she said.

Two officers attached a small search light to a corner of a wall. The light's eerie white glow whitewashed the walls. Chang could now see his captors, ten Koritsuka officers. At least, Chang assumed they were Koritsuka officers. As Chang’s eyes adjusted, he noticed one person in the room who didn’t fit in. The man stood in a corner, hidden under a dark cloak.

The woman walked over to Chang. “I am Commander Reiko Amori. I am in charge of the Koritsuka Squadron. You can either cooperate, or die.” She removed the gag from Chang’s mouth. “Is Hakuro Sanubi in the jungle?”

“No,” Chang said.

“Liar!” She punched Chang in the head.

The man in the cloak walked forward, face still hidden. “It is vital that you tell us his location.”

“I don’t know where he is.”

The man in the cloak remained calm. “Check his supplies. He has a transmitter box somewhere. Eventually Hakuro will transmit his position, then we will find him.”

“You won’t stop him.” Chang said.

“Why should you care? You’re going to die,” Amori snickered.

“We don’t need to kill any more than is necessary,” the cloaked man said.

“Fine,” Amori said, pointing her gun at Chang. “We won’t kill him, but the desert will.”

***
Reese concentrated on the elevator and made it clear that she didn’t need Hakuro’s help. Hakuro left her and went to work making camp. He set up the inflatable tent and placed all the other supplies inside, trying to keep things organized. He then pounded odd-looking stakes into the ground in a large circle around the tent. Chang had said that when the stakes were activated, they created an invisible wall that put out a low frequency hum, which scared animals away. In case the wall didn’t work, Hakuro set up tripods that would fire at anything moving, within a 15 yard radius that weighed more than 120lb. After he set up camp, he left to check on Reese.
“Damn it!” she said from within the wall of one of the buildings. “Stupid machine! You’d think they woulda installed some stairs or some manual way to get down or something!”

“Reese, is that you?” Hakuro yelled.

He heard a thump. “Ow!”

“Are you all right?”

“Fine.” She said. Then, something crashed, and Reese screamed.

Hakuro grabbed a flashlight and scrambled into a hole in the wall. “Reese! Where are you!”

“In here. I found the stairs.” She hung onto the ledge of a broken doorway. Hakuro pulled her up.

“There’s a ladder going down,” Reese said.

“I’ll go get some flash lights.” Hakuro said.

They both descended the ladder.

“There’s a whole subway system down here!” Reese gasped. Tracks, ticket booths, benches!”

“And a map.” Hakuro said. “Over here. It’s on this wall. Take the flash light.”

The brightly colored map showed tunnels going to various mining sites and plantations.

“Look,” Hakuro pointed to the map. “This tunnel leads to the inside of a mountain, where the label says, Paradise Valley. Let’s use the trams to get to the city. The sword is said to be there.”

“Hakuro, the trams won’t work,” Reese said. “They didn’t have water-fueled engines back then. They used fuel or some other type of energy. We could use the cycles.”

“How will we get them down here?” Hakuro asked.

“We can use our phasers to blast a hole big enough to get the cycles through. We can ride them down.”

“Alright, lets do it.”

Their cycle engines roaring, the wind in his hair, and the feel of speed running through his body, But he was anxious, too. Reese struggled to keep up. When he arrived at the end of the tunnel, he was utterly disappointed. A metal wall sealed the way.

“No!” Hakuro took out his phaser and began firing at the wall to no avail.

“Hakuro stop!” Reese yelled. “It seemed too easy anyway.”

“We have to knock it down.”

“We can’t. We don’t have the right equipment. We have to find another way.”

Hakuro sighed. They turned their cycles around and headed back to camp.

14
Reiko Amori sat on a bench in the airplane. She fidgeted. “What’s taking them so long? They should have sent a transmission by now.”

“They will send one. Be patient,” the cloaked man said.

“What if you’re wrong? What if they don’t?”

“They will.”

“If you’re wrong...”

“I’m not.” He stated. “Why are you so desperate for this sword?”

“Because it is rightfully mine.”

“What gives you the right to it?”

“My father gave up his life to find that sword. I have every intention to finish what he started.”

Muriyaki sat in painful silence. Another life ruined by my desire, he thought.

The black transmission box started to beep.

***
“I sent the transmission.” Hakuro sat down on a log by Reese. “I can’t believe we wasted a whole day.”

“Wasted? This day wasn’t wasted. We found out that the underground city exists and where it is. We collected many artifacts and have seen things that no one else has. I wouldn’t call that wasted.”

“It means nothing. Only getting the sword matters.”

“The sword. There are other things besides the sword. You can’t get it in a day you know. We could learn a lot about the people who were here. Maybe why they disappeared and their artifacts are worth a lot of money.”

“I don’t care about the people or learning about them. I just want to get the sword and get out of here as soon a possible.”

“Why did they send you on this mission anyway, you obviously didn’t want to come.”

“This mission is very honorable. I will gain my people’s honor, respect, and recognition, something my father deserved, but never got. They can take all of that away from me as well. Things you wouldn’t understand. All you care about is money.”

“At least I’m not a stupid arrogant fool who only cares about himself.” Reese got up and went into the tent.

Hakuro sat on the log for a few seconds, and then went after her. She was feverishly brushing her hair.

“Fighting won’t get us anywhere.”

“No, it won’t,” she growled. “Is it really that difficult to say sorry.”

Hakuro walked over to her. “Reese.”

She threw the brush at him and walked away.

Hakuro sighed. “You’re right, I’m a stupid selfish arrogant fool. I’m sorry for arguing with you.”

Reese sat down on her sleeping bag. “What do you think happened to those people?”

“I don’t know. They were here a long time ago.”

“Don’t you think it’s odd that they just left their stuff lying around, trams sitting in the middle of the tracks? It looks as if they were just doing what they normally did, then, they just disappeared.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“I think something bad happened to them.”

Hakuro sat in front of her. “Nothing bad happened to them. Nothings going to happen to us or anyone else.”

“What if the Koritsuka come back? I just have this bad feeling…”

For a second they just looked at each other. Then Hakuro leaned forward and kissed her. Hakuro didn’t understand why he did it just then, only that he always wanted to. The moment their lips touched, a kind of inner electricity spread through out their bodies. They sat in silence for a few moments, staring at each other, and then they began to kiss each other passionately. Hakuro felt the nap of her neck, the gritty, over humidified texture of her skin. He soon lost himself in passion, forgetting everything else. Time stopped, the smell of dirt and mulch, and sweat is gone. The heat and humidity is gone. The feel of grimy skin is gone. All that exists is simple, instinctual sensation, sensation that happens as fast a lightening, faster than a roaring waterfall, faster than the human mind can comprehend.
***

Hakuro groggily opened his eyes. Reese stood above him, shaking him forcefully.

“Hakuro! Snap out of it!” she hissed. “Jeez! You sleep like the dead.”

Hakuro forced himself to sit up. “What time is it?” he yawned.

“It doesn’t matter! Something’s walking around out there. I can hear it.”

“Probably just an animal.”

“You don’t think those guys from the air port could find us, do you?”

“No. They could never find us. Even if they knew we were in this jungle, they wouldn’t know what part.”

Outside, a stick snapped. Hakuro became instantly alert. “Just an animal.” He whispered. Then, the automatic guns started to go off.

15

“Take cover!” Amori yelled from behind a tree. Amori’s anger heightened as the moments passed. She fired toward the sentry guns posted around the camp. “Idiots! Get back!” She yelled again. They’re running around like chickens with their heads cut off! She continued to fire at the guns. Stupid soldiers! She cringed as another fell to the ground. At least my assassins are smart enough to stay here. Now, how to turn off those guns... She picked up her radio “Tokano, state your position.”

“180 degrees from yours.” Her lieutenant replied.

“Do you see anything that resembles a hydrogen generator?”

“No, but there’s a supply tent. Perhaps it’s in there.”

“Use one of your hand bombs to blow it up.”

“I mean no disrespect Commander—“

“Just do it! And make sure it hits the far side away from the occupied tent! Everyone who can, take cover!” She turned off her radio before anyone could protest.
***

Hakuro and Reese scrambled in side the tent, chucking as much stuff as they could into bags.

“We have to leave before they find us,” Reese said. “How will we get out of here?”

“The air cycles will be the fastest way. We can turn off the guns and then leave as fast as we can.”

“What about the sword?”

“We can come back for it.”

Suddenly, the sky lit up. An explosion hurled both of them through the ruined tent and on the ground. The last thing Hakuro saw was the corpse of a Koritsuka officer.

16
“Wake up!” a sharp voice demanded.

Hakuro groaned at the harsh voice. He found himself tied to a wooden post inside a hut. The hut was made from the skulls of humans and animals, the largest being that of an elephant, which hung from the ceiling like a chandelier. The door was made of bones. As Hakuro looked around, he saw an oriental girl wearing a Koritsuka uniform. She strolled casually over to him. Her hair was in two tight buns. In her hand she held a phaser.

“I am Commander Amori,” she said. “Do you know where you are?” She paused for a moment. “You are in a deserted pygmy village. This room is where they tortured their prisoners.”

“Where is Reese?”

“Oh, I thought I’d let my men play with her.”

“What!” Hakuro yelled.

“Can’t you take a joke? The girl is fine.”

“You won’t get away with this.”

“That’s what your pilot said before we killed him. Such a clique phrase.”

“Chang,” Hakuro said to himself.

“You’re a fool, Hakuro Sanubi. You think you were sent on this mission to get the sword, and to unite all of Asia. But you are wrong. The Kiitsu are using you to get the sword so they can use it for conquest. And now that I have you, my mission will soon be completed.”

Hakuro’s eyes were filled with fear.

“I could kill you, but I won’t. Take me to the sword, and I’ll let you live.”

“What! Why? You have no business with the sword.”

Amori smiled viciously. “I desire the sword very much. More than you know.”

“You would disobey your superiors?”

Amori laughed openly, "What superiors?" then became deadly serious. “Do you wish for your freedom or not? Help me and you can go.”

“What about Reese?”

“I’ll keep her alive, but you make one mistake, and I’ll kill her.”

Hakuro stared at her intensely, then clinched his jaw and reluctantly spoke. “Deal.”

17
She sensed danger from all sides. Noises in the dark kept her heart racing. More than once, she thought she heard a leopard moving through the jungle. Reese had tried to get out of her bindings, but they were made to tighten if she struggled. She was tied to a tree in the middle of a jungle.

“Hey!” Reese yelled. “You can’t leave me here. I hope you know you’re leaving behind a very valuable person!”

“In deed,” a feminine voice said behind her. “You’re friend made the right choice. You can live for the time being.”

“Show your face, you coward!”

An oriental woman came over to Reese and placed a gun at her throat. “Untie her from the tree,” she said to somebody, “but keep her hands bonded.” She turned to Reese. “Are you the one who killed my men at the airport?”

“Yes, and I enjoyed it too.”

Amori slapped her. “Personally, I don’t know what he sees in you. Then again, you were the only girl around for miles. You never know what can happen when you leave two people out in the jungle. O, and just to make sure you don’t run of-.” Amori put a collar around her neck. “This will explode. All I have to do is push a button.”

Reese jumped away from the tree and gave Amori a deadly glance.

“Let’s return to the base,” Amori said.

Two officers grabbed Reese’s arms and pulled her along. The four of them disappeared into the darkness.
***

Hakuro’s stomach growled with hunger. Even the sight of the skulls didn’t help to keep his hunger away. Hakuro tried to get in a more comfortable position but found it impossible.

“I wish someone would give me something to eat,” Hakuro murmured.

Suddenly as if his wish was granted, the door opened, revealing a cloaked man with a bread roll. A gloved hand fed it to Hakuro. Hakuro ate it quickly.

“Who are you?”

“A friend.”

“Can you untie me?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because if I do, Reese could be killed, and you would still go after the sword.”
“Why don’t you want me to get the sword?”

“I don’t want anyone to get the sword, least of all you. The sword’s power is too great for any human to handle.”

“If you don’t want anyone to get the sword, then why are you with the Koritsuka?”
“I’m with them because it was the fastest way to get to you,” the man said. “I won’t allow them to get the sword either.”

“What about Amori?”

“Amori is an idiot who took command after her superior was captured by Chinese officials. She is not loyal to the Sakoku Party. She only wants to avenge her father. Don’t worry about her. The nagas will kill her.”

“The nagas?”
“They are the ones who have the sword.”

“How do you know so much?” Hakuro suddenly felt weak and afraid. “Who are you?”

The man took off his cloak, revealing a body so twisted and mangled it hardly resembled a human being. Hakuro wasn’t sure if the crimson-colored body was skin or muscle. The man’s hands looked like gnarled claws and his veins were clearly seen, crossing his body like a web. Terror and sorrow gripped Hakuro’s heart, but then as Hakuro stared into the man’s eyes, a jolt of shock struck him fiercely. This man was his father.

“Do you know who I am?”

In this sudden realization, his thoughts flew back to the recesses of his mind, like shadows dying in light, or bats running from the sun; then an immense feeling of complexities took hold of him― fleetingly― before a sound like a slithering tornado’s cry tore those emotions from him as well, bringing him back to reality. Hakuro could only nod and stare. Tears filled his eyes, but Hakuro didn’t let them fall. “What happened?” he choked.

Muriyaki put his coat and gloves back on. As usual, he remained calm. “As a young boy, I became interested in archaeology. I collected many artifacts from different cultures, but the relic I wanted the most was the snake’s sword. My desire for the sword was great, and I spent many years gathering supplies and planning out the trip. Over twenty years ago, I finally left with a group of explorers to seek it. At that time, the jungle was filled with pygmies, indigenous tribes, and the people of the Holy Order- those that followed the divine woman and protected the sword.
When we were exploring the jungle, the pygmies attacked us. I was the only one to survive. I went to one of the Holy Order’s mining camps and asked them for help. No one would. I had almost given up hope and given myself up for dead, when a girl took me in. This girl became your mother. We had a happy life for a while, but my desire for the sword took over. I slipped to the back of the city, where the chamber was that contained the sword. Horrible beasts guarded it, beasts that looked like oversized snakes with wings. These vipers could fly and they had enormous jaws. I called them nagas after the serpents of myth. After observing them for a while, I discovered that they flew around the sword in a dormant state. I used this to my advantage, and was able to get the sword. As soon as my hand touched the sword, the creatures awoke. They alerted the people, who rushed into the chamber. They were outraged. The creatures threatened to attack me and the people threatened my life. I was trapped, and being a fool, I wished for everyone in the jungle to disappear. Because the sword was still in my hand, it granted my wish. The divine girl, owner of the sword, saw all of this, and instead of killing me, she let me live. She said that sometimes life is a bigger punishment than death. She said that my body would be cursed. She took the sword, brought the beasts back, and brought back your mother. She told me to take your mother and go. I took your mother to Japan to live a normal life. After all that had happened, she didn’t remember any of it. I tried to live normally also, but my body started to change. The curse was taking hold. Ten years later, I said goodbye to you and your mother, and left. I’ve lived with myself in pain and agony caused not only by this curse, but because of the lives I ruined with greed.”

Outside, Hakuro heard a loud growl and some screams.


Muriyaki looked at his son gravely. “Here they come.”