Tails High

by Paul Kidd

  Suddenly a rotten tree smashed into the rocks a few hands’ breadths below. The corpse monster had flung an entire fallen tree, hurtling it like a rotten stick. Kuno suddenly swarmed up into the tree with marvellous newfound agility.

  They all slithered up into the weird nook at the centre of the tree – protected by massive branches all around, and by a dense mat of tree limbs and old leaves up above. Below them, the corpse monster raged, rearing up and trying to mount the cliff. The boy slumped down to sit against an upright tree branch, waving a hand vaguely off towards the monster.

  “It is… it is too steep for the monster to climb!” The boy was quite exhausted. “I found this place last night. I thought the monster had gone, but it was lying in wait to destroy me!”

  Kuno jerked the boy aside as a tree trunk came sailing up from the swamp. They all threw themselves flat as the missile crashed into the branches beside them, showering splinters of rotten wood. A huge baulk of wood careened through between the branches – a lump big enough to shear off someone’s head. The boy immediately crawled forward to the edge of the nook to stare back down at the monster.

  Kuno seized the boy by the belt and hauled him back.

  “Down! Get back from the edge!”

  The boy looked at Kuno in shock and dumbfounded outrage.

  “Samurai! How dare…!”

  Another huge missile slammed into the tree exactly where the boy had once lain. Kuno protected the boy with his own body, letting a massive, razor sharp chunk of wood slam into his armour and ricochet away. Bifuuko sent out a sizzle of air, making a shield to keep countless little sharp fragments of wood out of everybody’s eyes.

  More immense missiles followed the first – again and again, pounding into the old tree and making the whole thing shudder. As shards rained all about them, Kuno shouted to the boy, trying to make himself heard about the insane, gibbering screams of the monster.

  “You must learn to duck, boy!”

  The boy haughtily lifted up his head. “A warrior does not duck!”

  “Good ones do!” Kuno pressed them both flat as more chunks of timber crashed spinning through the boughs. “A worthless death honours no man!”

  The assault went on and on, with trees, massive root clumps and broken lumber being flung wildly up from the swamp. Finally the attack tapered off. A last few trees were hurtled, and then there was a comparative silence. There was only the crash of rain and the screeching yammer of the monster’s countless skulls.

  Chiri – wonderfully lithe and stealthy – slithered to peer down through a minute gap in the branches. She had Daitanishi beside her. They both watched the monster for a moment, then Chiri gave a tired sigh.

  “Oh good. The monster has apparently run out of dead trees.”

  Kuno and the boy cautiously sat up and shook themselves free of rotten bark and splinters. For the first time, Kuno and Chiri could inspect their new companion.

  He was a slender young teenager with great bright eyes. His hair was long – once tied back in a ponytail, it now hung free. He wore fine hakama and an under robe of white cotton, and carried a richly decorated sword. The boy looked at Kuno – then stared at Chiri. He took in the elegant white rat spirit and her two floating elementals, and seemed utterly amazed.

  Relieved at their escape, Kuno looked the boy over, then bowed to him in thanks and great approval.

  “Your warning saved us. Well done, boy. I, Imperial Deputy Asodo Kuno, thank you on behalf of myself and my companion.” The samurai swivelled to indicate Chiri beside him. “May I introduce the shugenja Nezumi Chiri – Spirit Hunter. These are her companions, Bifuuko san and Daitanishi san.”

  Chiri bowed prettily, and with great politeness.

  “I am most pleased to make the acquaintance of so gallant a rescuer.”

  The boy was shocked but pleased.

  “Gallant?”

  “You are indeed brave, to have escaped such a monster.” The rat shimmered, turning back into her more human form. “May I perhaps inquire as to the name of so bold a companion?”

  The boy looked at her – totally entranced.

  “Brave?”

  He looked hesitantly at Chiri. “You do not know me?”

  “No, samurai san. But I am most pleased to meet you.”

  The boy emperor bowed. He blushed – stumbling out a lie to his new companions.

  “I - I am… Kenshin Mifune. It is a pleasure to meet you.” He looked at the rat woman in wonder. “You are a Spirit Hunter? What… is a Spirit Hunter?”

  Kuno kept a careful watch upon the massive monster as it sat itself down before the rocks.

  “There are four of us, Mifune san. We serve the emperor by overcoming monsters and evil spirits.”

  The boy felt a surge of awe.

  “You are monster fighters? Real monster fighters?” He gestured to the massive beast down in the swamp. “You have come to defeat this enemy?”

  The creature roared. Kuno watched it with care and calculation.

  “We came to investigate, rescue victims, and destroy the threat. In the emperor’s name.”

  The boy placed a nervous hand against his throat.

  “You are… quite definite about the emperor, Kuno san.”

  “The emperor has the blood of gods. He is descended from Kami and from heroes. I do as he would do, if he were here!” Kuno withdrew from the edge of the nook. The stern samurai looked at the boy, and gave a sudden, approving smile. “As do you, Mifune san! You are facing a monster – so now you are a Spirit Hunter. It is good to have another warrior in our company.”

  The young emperor was extremely pleased.

  Chiri edged forward with her elementals beside her. She watched the corpse monster below, taking in its horrible structure – old armour, old spears and swords, and countless rotted corpses and skeletons. She felt the chill radiating from the thing, and softly shivered.

  “The corpse monster is still there.” She kept carefully in cover – and yet the monster seemed to sense her presence. “I can feel nothing from it except hatred for all that is good. I believe this is the remains of the traitors of Traitor Forest.” The rat looked to the forest, worry etched into her face. “Sura would know.”

  ‘Mifune’ cocked his head.

  “Sura?”

  Kuno sat down and slumped wearily against a branch. Sura and Tonbo were missing – the forest was a deadly mass of evil spirits. Kuno felt quite suddenly at a loss. “Kitsune Sura. She is a reibai – a priestess exorcist. A creature vain, indolent, often annoying – and quite remarkable.” He blinked, remembering back. “The first tail is friendship. Never failing. Always strong…”

  Kuno suddenly felt quite hollow.

  “I have never feared for her before…”

  It was a strange feeling. Kuno wearily pulled off his helmet and set it to one side.

  “Tonbo is gone, too. We have lost our two comrades to the shape changers that haunt these woods.”

  Chiri sat herself down. She composed herself, and tried to think.

  “The small spirits fled from the corpse monster. Clearly, they fear it, also.”

  Mifune looked to Chiri – quite pale and sick with grief.

  “With good reason, Chiri san. I have seen the creature destroy a dozen samurai in an instant.”

  The boy sat down beside them. He looked at Daitanishi, and the little rock elemental inspected him thoughtfully in return.

  Mifune turned to Chiri in fragile hope.

  “You are truly a shugenja? Can you not use magic against the monster, Chiri san?”

  The rat spirit gave a thoughtful frown.

  “The monster appears to regenerate. Any physical damage that I cause the creature would almost instantly heal.” She sadly ran a hand across her face. “To destroy a beast such as this, we need Sura. To face it in combat, we would need the strength of Tonbo.”

  Kuno turned to Chiri.

  “Chiri san. You could turn to a rat and evade the beast.”

&nb
sp; “Forgive me, but to what end, Kuno san? I agree that I alone might escape – but I would never abandon you or this heroic youth.”

  The corpse monster groaned. Chiri, Kuno and Mifune all crawled to the edge of their shelter and peered down into the swamp. The light was dimming as more and more black clouds gathered.

  Rain settled into a slow, steady downpour. From their high perch, Mifune, Chiri and Kuno watched as the monster sank down, blending itself almost invisibly with the black water all around it. Young Mifune leaned his head against the tree.

  “It is watching us. It moves faster than we do. I tried to outrun it, but I tired while it did not.”

  The boy felt sick and helpless. He stared out into the rain.

  “It killed my… my father’s men. It slaughtered my tutor and the maids-in-waiting…”

  Kuno rested a hand on Mifune’s shoulder. The boy stiffened in amazement – almost as if he had never been touched with such warm familiarity.

  Kuno nodded to the boy in respect.

  “You have suffered much, Mifune san. Victory is the best revenge.”

  “You – you do not believe our situation to be hopeless, Kuno san?”

  Asodo Kuno squared his shoulders.

  “Monsters are a problem. All problems have a solution. That is wisdom from our companion, Tonbo.” Kuno nodded to himself. “Patience, fortitude – and hitting like a hammer of the gods.”

  The three cold, drenched and hungry companions sat in what little shelter they could find.

  In the swamp below them, slick bubbles rose up from the swamp, and the monster settled down to wait.

  .

  Chapter 4

  A dark scarlet sunset lit the western sky, streaming a brooding light through the dense black clouds. Rain still spattered down – running in rivulets through the trees. The temperature dropped, and a chill wind stirred through the dank black forest.

  Up in the giant tree above the swamp, the fugitives shivered. Out in the swamps, the corpse monster seemed to have disappeared. All was still and silent – the screams and insane howling had ceased. But they could sense the monster watching – a dark presence hidden in the muck and mire, coldly staring at the tree.

  As the light began to fade, the fugitives made silent preparations. Nezumi Chiri lay down in the darkest shadows of their shelter. There was a shimmer, and she suddenly vanished, her clothes falling limp and empty to the ground.

  A delicately beautiful white rat nosed out of the garments. The boy Mifune watched in astonishment as Chiri sat up and twiddled her whiskers. The rat bobbed a bow to Kuno and Mifune, then twittered off to the back of the giant tree. Bifuuko and Daitanishi were on watch, and signalled that the coast was clear. Chiri peered down into the gloom below, and slipped off down a great, wide crack in the tree bark.

  The swamp lay under the endless patter of rain. Far off in the woods, there were howls and hoots from distant night birds. Mifune risked peering down the side of the tree, but could see nothing in the rocks below. Nezumi Chiri had completely disappeared.

  Long minutes later, Bifuuko whirred up out of the shadows. The shimmering little creature held the end of a long length of doubled string in her little dragonfly legs. The air elemental passed the string into Kuno’s hands, then she whirred back down into the dark.

  There was a firm double tug on the string from below. Kuno began to carefully lift a weight up the side of tree and high into the air.

  Finally, a sealed little pod of basketwork reached the top of the tree. The string was untied and lowered back down again. Working with patience and a great many paranoid glances at the swamp, Kuno and Mifune stealthily raised the string a second time together, and then a third, hoisting up neat little bundles taken from Chiri’s backpack far below.

  The fourth and final load included Chiri herself, riding inside a cooking pot. Bifuuko helped steady the swaying load, while Daitanishi brought up the rear, withdrawing cautiously and watching the swamp. The corpse monster seemed to be lying quiet. It was out of sight, but the deadly chill of the thing could still be sensed clinging to the mud. Kuno hauled the little rat in to safety, and Chiri leapt down to sit in their shelter, shaking raindrops from sodden fur.

  Chiri wiped her paws and fastidiously combed her whiskers, then sat up on her haunches and gave a sigh.

  “The backpack was too heavy for the string to lift.” The rat nodded her muzzle towards the little bundles. “But – we have my blanket, my shelter sheet, a tinder box – my spare under robes, and a little food. I hope it will suffice.”

  Kuno gave a nod.

  “Excellent. This is an absolute godsend. You have our deepest thanks.”

  Bifuuko hovered behind Chiri and wildly fanned her wings, causing a great breeze that ruffled and dried the rat’s fur. Chiri ended up looking something like a sea urchin, with her fur jutting out at every possible angle. The rat eyed Bifuuko patiently, then shook herself, trying to groom everything back down into place.

  She trotted back to her clothing and wriggled her way inside. A moment later, she shimmered and grew back into her human form. She sat up again, fully clothed, pulling back long, white streaming sheets of hair.

  Young Mifune knelt nearby, watching the entire process in great fascination. He bowed to Chiri as he saw her turn smiling eyes upon him.

  “Forgive me, Chiri san! I have never before witnessed an animal spirit at the moment of changing forms…” The boy looked at her in interest. “Is it tiring? Or is it merely natural?”

  “The process takes effort. It is natural to us, but it must be learned. We master it while playing in our childhoods.” Chiri adjusted her belt, which had shifted about in a most unpleasant way. “Sliding back into empty clothing, however, decidedly requires practice.”

  Mifune nodded. Suddenly his stomach growled. The boy was utterly mortified. Kuno checked inside the little wicker food container, and made a thoughtful noise.

  “Miso, dried fish… we might perhaps heat ourselves some soup over the lamp.”

  “Excellent.” Young Mifune bowed. “I am most grateful.”

  Chiri opened up a second little package. “We also have some of Sura’s rice balls. They are best eaten in the dark.”

  The rice balls were duly shared out. Mifune ate with an unaccustomed, wolfish appetite – he had never known hunger before. He paused between bites, and bowed to his companions.

  “They are pleasingly nutty. Thank you, Chiri san.”

  With the first course eaten. Chiri rose and arranged the well-oiled shelter sheet – a little tent she used on rainy days. She managed to give them slightly better shielding from the rain.

  Kuno found a slab of rock that had been hurtled into the tree by the monster. He set it at the centre of the nook, and piled on some of the many wood splinters that had showered all around them.

  Soon, they had a cheerful little fire to keep the night at bay. Chiri arranged a pot above the flames, feeling far better in her heart.

  “There. We shall have some soup. Hot soup to share! And I am sure we can manage a little tea…”

  The scent of the soup was wonderfully cheering. Daitanishi and Bifuuko settled close to the lamp and warmed themselves. Chiri handed one of her spare under-robes to Mifune, who gratefully changed into the dry clothes.

  Chiri moved aside and quietly changed into a dry robe. Mifune turned about, blushing – honourably granting Nezumi Chiri total privacy, even while the adolescent portion of him longed to turn and peek. He busied himself by moving up to the edge of their refuge and diligently keeping watch for any encroachments by ghosts or monsters.

  Kuno joined him, keeping carefully to the darkest shadows.

  From their high perch, Kuno, Mifune and Chiri managed to look through openings in the woods. In a clearing some distance from the swamp, a slight glow shimmered in the trees. The ghostly shapes of the porcelain-headed spirits could be seen flitting about the branches. They seemed to be chasing each other, playing in the gloom. The watchers could almost hear th
e ghostly drift of childish laughter as the weird little monsters danced and ran.

  Mifune, stared at the distant spirits, skin still crawling with remembered fright.

  “What are they, Chiri san?”

  “Sura would know. Spirits of some kind….” Chiri’s sensitive ears caught a clear hint of distant laughter. “Listen. They sound like children!”

  Kuno could only hear the vaguest, most fleeting hint of sound. He scowled, trying to see the creatures more clearly in the failing light.

  “Sura looked as though she was drawn to play with the creatures. They did not attack her – they made her join them…”

  He paused – and thought again.

  “No. One of them made her join them. The big one. The others – the smaller ones – remained distant.”

  “Playmates! The creature wanted new playmates.” Chiri blinked pink eyes in realisation. “Kuno san – the larger of the spirits. It must have the mind of a child!”

  She turned and gazed at the forest spirits, looking at them with new eyes. “Could that be it? The creature turns victims into playmates?”

  Scratching his head, Mifune turned and looked towards the spirits. The boy folded up his arms and frowned – consciously trying to imitate Kuno’s strong, certain manner.

  “Forgive me for interrupting. But this would mean that these other creatures are not essentially connected to the corpse monster.”

  Kuno gave a nod. “That would seem to be correct. They just happen to cohabit the same forest.” The samurai planted himself at the edge of their shelter, looking off across into the trees. “But why? They are at such odds with each other. How do both creatures end up here, together? Is there a circumstantial connection?”

  He had come too close to the edge of the tree. There was a sudden splash, and the corpse monster below suddenly flung a great mass of water weed and mud straight up at their refuge. Kuno ducked, and the reeking mass slammed into the bark a handsbreadth below his perch. Bifuuko and Daitanishi managed to save the soup from toppling as the branches all around them shuddered.