My guess was something more powerful than a mōryō; something which also preferred the entrails of the dead and used the weaker creatures to help it get them. The thing that I now knew hovered, still invisible, above the disguised youkai. I had a strong suspicion of what that creature might be. I could only hope I was wrong.
“Yamada-sama, they’re moving again,” Kenji said.
While the death of their comrade had caused some delay and consternation in the ranks, now the others pressed forward. Kiyomatsu found another target in the front rank—which led to another hesitation, then another advance, though it was clear that none of them was enthusiastic about facing us, even with their advantage of numbers.
“It’s almost as if they’re being pushed,” Kiyomatsu said.
“That’s exactly what’s happening.” I turned to Kenji. “Do you have any spirit wards?”
“I always do,” Kenji said. “But what... oh, I think I see. Here.”
Kenji reached into his sash and pulled out a long strip of paper, carefully folded. I passed it to Kiyomatsu. “Tie this on the end of your next arrow. I’ll tell you where to aim.”
“This will likely affect the arrow’s flight,” he said, though he quickly did as I bade him.
“We won’t need great accuracy. Aim your arrow two bow-lengths over the heads of those at the base of the bridge, and sight toward the right corner of the railing. Shoot when you’re ready.”
Kiyomatsu drew and released, shooting, as he thought, toward the empty air. There was a bright flash of white light as the arrow struck something and then burst into flames. In no more than an instant the true enemy was revealed. It floated in the air, surrounded by corpse-fires. A massive creature with great rippling fur, long white teeth, and vicious claws.
Kasya!
There were many varieties of monster cats, the bakeneko. Some were merely annoying, others even somewhat kindly disposed toward humans, but the kasya were not of either kind. They were little less than demons, powerful and evil, and their favorite meal? Human corpses. They had been known to openly raid funerals to steal the body, swooping down from the sky like a feline vulture, but this one apparently was not content with such sporadic meals and had made common cause with the mōryō. Now that its presence was revealed, it roared in anger, and the other monsters, now also showing their true forms and clearly more afraid of their master than the three of us, pushed forward with purpose.
“I don’t suppose you have a ward powerful enough to deal with this?” I asked.
Kenji glared at me. “This is not the sort of thing I need to face every day, Yamada-sama! The kasya is a rare creature... though clearly not rare enough.”
I killed the first mōryō that reached me and shoved it back against the one behind it. Both fell into the water. I glanced at Kiyomatsu. “Your target is the demon. Aim for the head and heart. We’ll handle the mōryō.”
I saw Kiyomatsu’s first attempt glance off the demon’s shoulder, and it howled in pain. It flew towards us but Kenji was reciting a sutra, and his chant not only kept the kasya at bay; it was causing the mōryō considerable discomfort as well, though they did not stop.
I had to concentrate on killing and not being killed, but I was well aware that Kenji would not be able to keep up his chant and fight off the mōryō at the same time. He was even older than myself and was already huffing, although his priestly staff found its mark again and again, and the splashes of the fallen were almost as numerous as raindrops. They had to be, as more and more of the creatures joined in the fight.
There are too many of them.
At this point there was no doubt in my mind that we would soon be overwhelmed. The mōryō were small but stronger than they looked, and the roars of the kasya as Kiyomatsu’s arrows struck home did much to turn their fear into something resembling fortitude. They kept coming. We were forced to retreat one step, then another.
Tagako-hime will mourn me, but not before she curses me for a fool.
I knew I probably deserved it, but then I thought about what would have happened had Kenji come alone. Not only would I have lost my friend, but the kasya with its mōryō allies could have kept up the charade and used the village as a base for their predations. Scores of people would have died, people under my protection. As it was, Takamichi’s report would likely bring enough unwelcome attention that the monsters would be forced to move on. At least I hoped as much, since I had little for our survival.
“Yamada-sama, I fear I was unsuccessful,” Kiyomatsu said. His quiver was empty. I took back my tachi and gave his sword to him. I could see more than one arrow or arrow-stump protruding from the demon cat, and it was moving more slowly than before, but no arrow had struck a lethal area. The creature was in pain and enraged, but Kenji’s chant was quickly fading, along with his strength.
“It was unlikely a lone archer would be able to do more than you did, Kiyomatsu-san. That is a very tough creature.” I killed another mōryō and turned to Kenji. “Behind me, Master Kenji. Rest a moment.”
“Thank you, Lord Yamada, but I must decline. If I am to die fighting evil, I will not count it as wasted effort.”
The demon cat was floating toward us, and the leer on its face told the tale. No doubt it was imagining the fun it would have killing us and later feasting when our bodies were ripe enough. I was determined to give it a few more gashes to remember me by.
“Loose!”
The familiar command was loud and clear and did not come from any of us. I looked toward the shore and was both amazed and relieved to see a squad of Yamada-clan archers in perfect formation even as a dozen arrows struck the demon cat from behind. It howled again, but its howl was not rage this time—it was pain and fear. The next volley ripped through our attackers at the base of the bridge, and a third quickly followed. The mōryō once pressing us hard now turned their backs and attempted to flee, even as the arrows struck them down with almost methodical precision.
I saw Morofusa, the captain of my guard, at the end of the line with Takamichi beside him. I raised my tachi and pointed at the kasya, now attempting to flee, and Morofusa directed the next swarm of arrows at the demon. It slumped, slowed, and then fell out of the sky onto a pile of dead mōryō. Kiyomatsu, Kenji, and I struck down the last few as they attempted to flee the bridge.
The kasya was weakly trying to crawl away when we reached the foot of the bridge. I took no small pleasure in separating its head from its body, which by now resembled one of Morofusa’s archery targets. Kenji stuffed a ward into the creature’s open maw for good measure.
Morofusa hurried up to us, with Takamichi close behind. “My Lord, are you unharmed?” Morofusa asked as he kneeled before me.
“I am tired but quite well, Kanchō. Your arrival was much more than timely, but how did you know?”
He grinned. “Blame this one.” He nodded at Takamichi, who did indeed appear a little nervous.
I made myself appear fierce. “And may I ask how you knew we were in trouble, Takamichi-san?”
He was kneeling also and did not look at me. “I didn’t know... but I was under orders, Yamada-sama.”
I blinked. “Orders? Whose orders? What were they?”
“Tagako-hime’s orders. She knew I was assigned to your escort, and I was given strict instructions. She said if it appeared that you, with or without Master Kenji, were about to pursue anything odd or potentially dangerous, I was to make an excuse to return to the compound and bring your full guard. No exceptions. Forgive me, but Tagako-hime made it very clear what would happen to me if I did not do as she said.”
I frowned. “You told me you were going to inform the temple.”
“I did,” he said. “The acolytes are at the burial ground now.”
Kenji just shook his head wryly. “I had better go help.”
I assigned three archers to escort him there, though it occurred to me that my caution was somewhat belated. “Send for whatever aid you require.”
“Likely quite a bit,” he said, and l
imped off with his guard close behind. I directed Morofusa to have the rest of our men divide into teams and search for the true villagers. I had a feeling there would be many more funerals involved. I instructed Takamichi to remain with me. He still had not looked up.
“Tagako-hime said you might be angry. I am prepared to accept your punishment.”
I almost smiled. “For saving my life? No, Takamichi-san. In your place I would have done the same. You and Kiyomatsu can expect suitable rewards.”
He bowed lower. “Thank you, Yamada-sama, but it was no more than our duty.”
True enough, but then Tagako-hime, even so far away as the Capital, had somehow managed to remind me of my own duty, and it was no longer simply to myself. It was also to six villages just like Nishisawa. Continuing to pretend otherwise was not the best course for me, my family, or the people who were now my responsibility. I made a vow to be more careful in the future, now that there would be one.
Or at least as careful as the situation allowed.
© Copyright 2020 Richard Parks
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