Dragon Island

by Berryhill, Shane

  “Thank you,” I say.

  He nods.

  “We did only as our mistress commanded. However—”

  My eyes grow wide with disbelief as the tengu actually kneels before me. He bows his head and removes one of the necklaces of beads draped around his neck. He holds it out to me. It’s a chain of black pearls with feathers bookending a single, teardrop-shaped stone in its middle.

  I reluctantly bow my head to allow him to place the necklace around my neck.

  He does so then stands.

  “Yamanba was not the only one who received your gift this day.” the tengu says.

  I recall how he and the other birdmen settled down to listen as Kitsune and I sang the Toho song of gratitude.

  “Now, like Yamanba, we also owe you a gift in return.”

  The tengu reaches out and touches the necklace’s teardrop stone with his index finger.

  “Should you ever need us, think upon this stone.

  “We will come.”

  We trade nods. Then the tengu and his brothers launch into the air and disappear over the horizon.

  I stare at the point of their vanishing for several minutes, the sheer weirdness of my situation having reached up and smacked me in the face.

  I feel a hand come to rest on my shoulder.

  “Momotaro-sai.”

  I turn and see Ishiro standing before me, the golden flower in his outstretched hand.

  “You go—” I start.

  Ishiro cuts me off.

  “It was your victory. So it is also your privilege.”

  I look at Kitsune. She nods in agreement.

  I take the flower from Ishiro’s hand. The power of it throbs beneath my finger tips. I walk between my two companions toward the shobijins’ house and the Toho surrounding it. The village elders stand at the head of the gathered crowd. They watch me approach in complete silence.

  I reach them and hold up the flower. It reflects the sun’s light, bathing the three elders in a golden glow.

  They bow and I return the gesture.

  “We knew you had accomplished your task when our village was blessed with the successful birth of twin girls,” Tanuki says with an approving grin. “They will make a fine pair of shobijin, someday.”

  He gives me a wink.

  “But not today, eh?”

  I look past him, hoping to see the new babies cradled in the crook of their mother’s arms. There’s a smiling young girl holding what appears to be two furry kaiju cubs, but no babies are present, twins or otherwise.

  Oh well.

  They would be newborns, after all. It would be ridiculous, not to mention unwise, for the mother to drag them up the mountainside just to greet me.

  I turn and face Ishiro’s father.

  “I was wrong about you, Momotaro-sai,” Mujina says.

  Dang! It looks like Ishiro’s nickname for me is here to stay.

  “You truly are Kintaro’s heir.”

  We exchange bows and I move to Bakeneko. She gives me a curt nod and a smile. The latter fails to reach her eyes. I linger for a moment, but it quickly becomes obvious she has no words for me, praise or otherwise.

  I guess two out of three ain’t so bad.

  I turn and walk up to the house of the shobijin. I glance back over my shoulder at Kitsune and Ishiro, then down at the flower in my hands. The thrum of its power now courses up my arms and into my chest like an electric current. The feeling is pleasant, but I will be glad when I’m rid of it. Its magic is just too much for a simple Cali-boy like me to endure for any real length of time.

  I take a deep breath.

  “Raymond, uh, Momotaro humbly calls on you, great shobijin! I’ve Yamanba’s flower!”

  Silence.

  Even the cicadas have gone quiet.

  I glance back at Tanuki. He gestures with his hands, urging me to venture inside the creeper-covered house.

  I turn, take another deep breath, push back the dangling creepers, and step inside.

  The shobijin sit cross-legged in the house’s sole room. But they look different now—healthier. Most notably, the creeper vines have retreated away from them as though the mere proximity of Yamanba’s golden flower had already begun to produce a rejuvenating effect.

  “Approach—” Sister Momoko says.

  “Heir of Kintaro,” Sister Mosura finishes.

  I close the distance and kneel before them. I offer up the flower, bowing my head as I hold it out to them. I feel the sisters’ hands simultaneously grasp the flower, their fingers brushing mine in the process.

  I’m not exactly sure what happens next. There’s a brilliant flash of golden light and the sensation of what I would guess would be like being struck by lightning, minus the harsher effects.

  The next thing I know, I’m on my back, looking up at the shobijin. They stand before me, their robes appearing brand new, the oldness of their faces and skin replaced by mere distinguished age, their once blind eyes now full of awareness. The women I saw upon entering the house looked hundreds of years old. These regal ladies appear a very vivacious sixty.

  By contrast, the once golden flower now lies at their feet, a dark, shriveled husk.

  The sisters offer their hands to me.

  “Rise, heir of Kintaro.”

  I grip my hand in theirs and climb to my feet.

  “You have done well,” Mosura says.

  “The Toho’s link to Ryuu has been restored in full,” Momoko says.

  “You have the Toho clan’s eternal gratitude.”

  “And our own.”

  The two ladies smile, and it’s not difficult to imagine them as giggling twin girls running barefoot through the Toho village, playing games and spying on the boys who once owned their hearts.

  They are beautiful. They are majestic.

  I turn and they place their hands on my shoulders, allowing me to lead them out of the house. The Toho greet us with cheers and dancing.

  “Momotaro!” they shout. “Momotaro!”

  I smile from ear to ear, truly happy for the first time since crash-landing on DragonIsland.

  But if I’d known of the horror that was to come, I would’ve run past the Toho out into the jungle to take my chances with the kaiju!

  Chapter 34

  If the ever formidable Sherlock Holmes managed to survive the plunge over Reichenbach Falls, would it not also be logical to assume his equally resourceful arch-nemesis likewise cheated death?...

  —Excerpt from Moriarty Unbound, by Henry Reynolds (2011)

  Wow! What a whirlwind the last few days have been.

  I left the Toho clan an outcast, but returned a hero! I’ve been treated like royalty since the moment I restored their twin priestess, the shobijin.

  Well, at least the Toho version of royalty.

  There are no crowns, castles, or palaces here in the village. But the Toho shower me with what they do have.

  Everywhere I go, I’m greeted with reverent bows and kind words.

  The village elder Tanuki has allowed me to stay in his house, removing himself and Kitsune to one of the smaller huts along the village’s perimeter, much to his daughter’s chagrin.

  But this has not stopped Kitsune from coming over to visit me constantly, day and night. That girl will do as she pleases!

  But there’s been a sadness about her since we returned from Yamanba’s castle.

  I cannot figure out what’s going on with her. She talks and laughs, and takes my arm in hers when we stroll through the village. To anyone who didn’t know better, she would seem the same old Kitsune.

  But, from time to time, I’ll catch her staring morosely off at the horizon. Or I’ll come upon her hurriedly wiping away tears from her face.

  And for whatever reason, I get the feeling that now, when she does appear happy, it’s all for show.

  But I haven’t a clue of how to broach the subject with her. Sure, I’ll whine to you about my problems all day long. But listening in return has never been one of my stron
g suits.

  For Tanuki’s part, like a lot of parents whose kids are going through hard times, he’s oblivious and grins ear-to-ear when he sees Kitsune and me together.

  “I have not seen Kitsune this happy since before her sister passed,” he says. “You are good for her, Momotaro-sai.”

  Ishiro smiles when he greets us, too. But I’m not certain how long that will last. Right now, he, Kitsune, and I are still on a honeymoon-stage-high after saving the Toho village. But, like I said, I can sense something bad slowly taking root inside Kitsune, slowly pulling her away from me, Ishiro, and everyone else. There’s something going on here that she isn’t telling us.

  At first, I thought it might have simply been Ishiro being a jerk again. If that was the case, I’d simply ignore him and tell Kitsune to do the same.

  That would be a lot easier to do if Ishiro was merely the dumb jock-type I figured him for when we first met. But, the truth is, he is much more than that. I’ve even come to like the big knuckle-dragger!

  Besides, he’s been nothing but nice since we returned. So whatever this ugly elephant in the room is, it must have nothing to do with him.

  That’s somewhat of a relief, I guess. But it doesn’t change the fact that my best friend on the island is eaten up with sadness.

  If only my plane hadn’t crashed-landed on this island! I wouldn’t have to worry about these things.

  How I long for Mom and Bear and my simple, relatively problem-free life back home.

  But, short of setting out alone on the open sea, there isn’t a thing I can do in regard to getting back to the States right now.

  But enough doom and gloom for the moment.

  Back to the royal treatment.

  When we returned to the village, several women took my clothes and burned them. Or at least, what was left of them. By that time, the shirt and jeans I was wearing amounted to little more than rags.

  In their place, the Toho gave me a luxurious, golden robe full of other bright colors and intricate patterns. It’s a modified, ceremonial version of the short robes worn by the Toho warriors. Mujina tells me the garment is based on the kimono worn by the legendary Kintaro himself!

  But best of all the extravagances the Toho have showered me with is the constant influx of white peaches!

  Every time I return to Tanuki’s house after taking a stroll, I find a fresh basket of them awaiting me. And that’s a good thing, because I can’t get enough of them.

  I’m munching on an especially succulent morsel now as I sit inside Tanuki’s reed house awaiting my escort to tonight’s celebration.

  Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that the Toho are having a festival tonight. There’s going to be a banquet, dancing, and best of all, a play in my honor.

  Is that great or what?

  “Momotaro-sai.”

  I turn and see Kitsune standing in the open doorway, her comely silhouette framed by the evening twilight.

  A smile spreads across my face.

  “Just can’t stay away, can you?”

  She mirrors my grin.

  I’m glad to see she’s in one of her better moods.

  “Come. Sit. Have a peach.”

  Kitsune walks over and kneels beside me on the floor.

  “You and those peaches! We are already calling you peach boy, Momotaro-sai. If you keep eating them, you are really going to turn into one!”

  “And what a delicious peach I’d be!”

  Kitsune laughs and the sound is like music.

  “I bet you yourself would eat me whole and not think twice about it!” I laugh.

  Kitsune’s laughter quiets and her face becomes solemn. It’s the same expression she’s been trying to hide from me and everyone else over the past few days.

  “Kitsune, what’s the matter?”

  Kitsune’s gaze locks onto the floor.

  “Please, talk to me.

  “Is it something I said? Something I’ve done? Is it Ishiro—?”

  Kitsune cuts me off. “I’m tired, Raymond-sai. All I want to do is lie down and sleep and let the world turn beneath me.”

  I stare at her a moment, not knowing what to say. Then I realize there’s nothing to be said.

  I open my arms.

  “Then rest.”

  Kitsune leans into me and nuzzles her head against my shoulder. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her snug against me.

  I hold my friend until night falls. We are both completely surprised when Ishiro and his fellow warriors burst into the house.

  “Momotaro-sai!” Ishiro shouts. The grin he is wearing fades from his face when he sees Kitsune lying in my arms.

  Mindless of their leader’s displeasure, Ishiro’s accompanying militiamen stampede past him into the room, cheering as they pull me away from Kitsune and carry me outside.

  They hoist me onto their shoulders, their shouts of “Momotaro!” joining those of the villagers already gathered outside and, for this moment, at least, I forget about Kitsune, Ishiro, and everything else plaguing me and simply revel in their praise.

  We parade around and through the village, making several laps before settling down to an outdoor banquet of fresh fish and vegetables dripping with the sweet sauces of hand-picked berries. Along with this main course comes bowl after bowl of fried dumplings, rice, and a plethora of other delectable treats I can’t even name.

  Dessert comes last and, predictably, it’s my favorite. My eyes become twin boiled eggs in their sockets as wooden plates filled with sliced white peaches soaking in piles of fluffy cream are set before us.

  The Toho giggle as they wait for me to take the first bite. I do and it’s delicious! I smile despite my mouth being crammed full of peaches and cream and the Toho roar in approval.

  After dinner, everyone turns to face the new wooden stage erected especially to showcase this evening’s play. It stands before the long house.

  The performance starts and I shriek, laugh, and cry along with the Toho as I see my own story being played out before me through the use of homemade props and costumes.

  The play begins with the plane-crash, then moves to my fleeing of the dragon. From there, the story unfolds with the actor playing me discovering Kusanagi, meeting up with Kitsune, and then descending into the deep labyrinth to discover the de facto Xenomians.

  The village elder Bakeneko excuses herself at this point, making a big enough show of it to momentarily disrupt the play.

  What her problem is these days, I just can’t figure. She and Kitsune just need to chill out!

  The actors resume their production. The man portraying Ningai Ura is holding aloft a mock-up of Kusanagi and screaming for Hebira when I feel the hair on my arms stand on end.

  An ear-splitting sonic boom sounds and the long house behind the stage explodes.

  The resulting shockwave blasts the actors off stage, saving them from being impaled by the mass of reed shrapnel trailing after.

  Arcs of electricity slice the air and a rotating, Xenomian saucer-ship appears in the space formally occupied by the long house. The deafening whine of its engine swallows the crowd’s screams. Many of the Toho run, but most remain where they are, frozen with fear.

  The ship’s flat disc of a belly detaches and floats to the ground. When it touches down, the army of robot samurai atop it march out and surround the remaining clansmen, the clanking of their movements a din in my ears.

  Then my worst nightmare comes true.

  The ship lands and powers down. Ningai Ura, alive and whole, emerges from the craft’s now quiet, still hull, on a disc of floating chrome metal.

  The gold-studded hand-grip of Kusanagi is unmistakable where it rises out of the sashes of his dark kimono.

  Ningai removes his sunglasses, exposing his fiery red eyes.

  “Bring me the heir of Kintaro,” he shouts. “The boy and I have unfinished business!”

  Chapter 35

  Many believe that Raiju, the companion beast of Raijin, the Shinto god of lighting and thunder, is t
hought to have been based on a much older and more malevolent daikaiju...

  —Excerpt from From Kami to Kaiju: Japanese Myths and Monsters, by Shigeru Kayama and Takeo Murata (1957)

  Oh, boy!

  Here I was living it up as the hero returned, thinking the worst DragonIsland had to offer was long behind me. Then the mad, would-be world conqueror Ningai Ura—who, based on what I saw back in the deep labyrinth, should be very, very dead—shows up here in the Toho village with an army of robot samurai to take the clansmen hostage!

  Worst of all, he is apparently come back from the grave to seek revenge upon me for placing him there in the first place!

  Can you say, yikes?

  I hear Ishiro’s battle cry and then see him leaving the crowd at a dead sprint, his new sword held high, hordes of his fellow warriors running behind him.

  Shokun Mujina’s powerful voice cuts through the night air, halting them in their tracks a few feet short of the ring of androids encircling us.

  “Stop!”

  I guess, like any good battle commander, Mujina has no wish to fight a battle he knows will only result in the slaughter of his people.

  He rises to his feet and approaches Ningai where he hovers above the crowd.

  He reaches up and points an accusing finger.

  “You are trespassing here, Ura. Leave this instant, or—!”

  Ningai Ura roars with mocking laughter. The sound echoes off the bamboo and grass walls of the village houses.

  “Or you will what, old man?

  “You may have once banished me from the village, but now it is I who hold all the power here.”

  To demonstrate, he unsheathes Kusanagi and holds it aloft for all to see. The crowd takes in a collective horrified gasp.

  Mujina speaks through clenched teeth.

  “How dare you touch the sword of Ryuu!”

  Ura’s levitating disc drifts earthward.

  “I dare that and more, Mujina-sage. Much, much more, as you will soon see.

  “Besides, I’m only taking what always should have been mine from the start.”

  Tanuki steps forward. “The god-dragon sword belongs only to Kintaro and his heirs.”