Chapter 13: Blood Pact Under the Magical Trees part 2
The northern winds were becoming a pain as they pushed against the boat. Though the snowfall was gone, the coolness of the air meant the Netherworld's icy atmosphere was still in effect, and that arctic wind and temperature could have been the reason why sailing was so difficult. The blistering headwind made traveling a bit harder. Her mianyi was practically being doubled in use to navigate the boat to her destination. Meioshi was not at all pleased with having to meet the creature. Due to the urgency of the blood oath, she unfortunately was running out of options. There wasn't enough information from the Netherworld wolf that could help her find the true guardian of Baohu qi Voluptatis, and the wolf had gotten a taste of her powers. She was more worried about the wolf using her body and powers to hurt others in its hunt for its possible master.
The fact that the wolf created hinoki tree roots on her neck to sap her blood and strength was the thing that bothered the doctor. Why the hinoki tree? That would mean either the wolf and original guardian were priestesses or they worked at a shrine that was built from the hinoki cypress wood. Hinoki wood was too rich in quality, so the shrine could have been built near a palace or some other wealthy area. The destruction of the shrine must have happened during the more violent struggles of the wars. The other thing that bothered her was the collar placed across her neck. It was similar in material to her roningasa hat made from the lantern. Why wasn't it also made from hinoki wood? Why bamboo and iron? Even the method of the initiation for the blood oath was mind-boggling! An arrowhead? Nothing seemed connected. What should be the connection?
The number of questions running through her mind seemed to mount and melt in a continuous cycle of frost and warmth. Looking down at the world below her, she looked at the tops of trees with some remnant of hope. The hope didn't seem to be her own, though. The wolf's eye on her chest was constantly moving and searching, even though it was mostly pulling on her chest like one would pull skin to get a crumb off their bosom. Another emotion that seemed to be evoked from the wolf was wonder. The eye was steadily shifting its focus from the treetops to the clouds to the inside contents of Meioshi's boat and to Meioshi's intricate boat oar. The doctor was used to passengers being excited on her boat. It rode in the skies like the wind was a water current. The boat oar was closer in design to a staff with her family's crest at the top and a short paddle about the size of half a shovelhead. It was taking clouds from high above them by drawing the moisture of the air to the oar and redirecting them to float downward. Once the clouds came within proximity, they stretched out like flattened roll of dough and snaked their way to the oar. This turned the clouds into a river for the boat to ride on air like it was water.
The wolf liked Meioshi's boat very much. It was an interesting magical device for transportation, but it also held a sense of security and serenity. Taking control of Meioshi's hand, it reached out for a warm blanket that the doctor had on the side and made Meioshi pull it towards her. Meioshi lowered the oar to put it on a hook protruding on the side of the boat's rim and obeyed the wolf by wrapping her bottom up in the blanket. The wolf shouldn't have been feeling cold if it was used to hell's arctic climate in Koridetudi.
This prompted Meioshi to speak and she asked gently, "Sorry, guardian, I didn't realize you were cold. Do you want me to wrap our shoulders?"
The wolf blinked in response and remained silent. After a moment or so, it made Meioshi's arm sort of tug on the blanket. It wanted to be wrapped up. The living world's cold seemed to be different than hell's arctic frost. Meioshi smiled at the wolf's response before lifting her blanket up to cover her shoulders and taking a deep breath. The wolf's eye looked up at Meioshi's chin and then to the world again. It could see hills decorated with light snow.
She then asked, "It's pretty up here, isn't it? At night, I sometimes go boating to see the soul carriers or benevolent spirits playing. They bring souls up to a much higher place than I can go, but I greet them if I recognize them. Maybe I'll show you that. You've probably seen so many malevolent spirits and demons in your world. I bet you'd like a change of pace. Just to get away from the darkness for a while."
"Why are you being kind to me?" The wolf asked. The voice came from the eye.
"Because I want to," Meioshi replied, closing her eyes and smiling brightly. "If I hadn't known you could talk, I probably would've thought you to be no different than a mindless demon. My master and Yuko taught me otherwise. Now that I know you lost someone, I want to help you find her. No matter what happens to me, I will make it my mission to reunite you. Perhaps, like the souls I see floating in the night, you need to be guided to your rightful place."
The wolf was silent at the doctor's answer. Whether it was the warmth of the blanket or the soft determination in the doctor's voice, the wolf's eye slowly started closing. It wanted to look at the world some more and see the snow decorating some of the summer crops, but it simply didn't have enough energy to stay awake. Tiredness overcame it but so did a sense of positivity. Meioshi could feel the wolf's hope lighting up within her, and she embraced herself to sort of comfort the spirit residing within her. What she didn't expect was to feel another body that was smaller in stature resting in her arms. The arctic wolf was approaching a state of peace. That made the doctor hellbent on finding the true guardian because the protector of the sword... felt like a child...
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"Oh, look at that, gentleman! The sun is rising!"
Sesshomaru and Jaken were at their wit's end with the green pheasant and his eggs. They had been following the stupid bird for what felt like hours after coming back to his nest multiple times. He was not joking when he said the brush was a circle and made you restart each time until you found the exit. Problem was the brush seemed small when walking through it, but, when you keep starting over and changing directions only to start over again and again, one starts to wonder what pheasant and pheasant eggs will taste like after it's been cooked without seasoning and garnished with dead grass. Everything looked the damn same! The trees were the same, the grass was the same, and the same pheasant kept insulting them for not listening to his warnings the first time! Once the pheasant decided to give them a clue, which is how they wound up following him, he proved to be much more useful in explaining why certain paths aren't meant to be explored.
"We've been traveling in this circle for the whole night?" Jaken questioned darkly, lifting up Nintojo to unleash its power on the pheasant.
"Noooo, you've been going in circles for a few hours now," the pheasant clarified, cleaning his wings. "The rising sun means there has been an agreement between oath keepers. You mentioned seeing a blood pact being made some time ago. Those who share an oath make an exchange of mutual benefit in order to complete an ultimate goal. Should the two share a similar goal then a bond is made. It can be one of servitude, of fortune, or whatever is chosen. The rising sun means a bond has started. You should be able to clearly see a gate or fence signifying the nature of the bond."
Sesshomaru and Jaken looked at the pheasant with a suspicious eye before proceeding to walk ahead of it. The golden crest of the sun lit the brush and made them realize they were surrounded by enormous trees and thickets that could choke a person. However, Sesshomaru caught sight of a glimmering object in the distance and quietly walked towards it. The walking distance he was obtaining now was significantly lengthier. That gave him some reassurance that he could get the hell out of the circle and away from the pheasant. The object was getting closer, and, the more Sesshomaru got close to it, the more he began to hate Lady Meioshi. The glimmering object was a paper lantern lighting the entryway to a beaten path. Sesshomaru let out a growl of pure annoyance and walked through the gate. Once he did, he started hearing the earth shake and the trees moving.
A cold wind stirred from the north and chimes sounded. It was a very soft dinging mingling with the wintry air. He turned around to see different pine trees regaining their proper brown and green coloring and no longer looking so dormant and dead. The grass was brown in spots, but there were hints of green dotting the new landscape behind him. The sky went from pitch black to a more reddish coloring. It wasn't like blood or fire red, but it was a red that could almost be viewed as comforting. Sesshomaru gave his full attention to the changing scenery while Jaken had a more colorful reaction.
"It's getting colder..." Jaken commented, eyes lowering with mild depression. "Why?"
"I already told you why," the pheasant remarked, running to the beaten path. His eggs were bouncing after him and twirling about. He then lectured, "Now, children, you have to be careful. If you break your shells too soon, you'll either be too weak to defend yourselves at proper birth or die. Then, where would that lead us?"
"To a skillet," Jaken mumbled, turning his eyes to the pheasant with malicious intent.
"Now this path should lead you to your next destination," the pheasant started, not hearing Jaken's mumbling. "You should be a little freer to do some proper exploring, but I would be careful if I were you. This is still a circle. Entering parts of the brush where you don't belong will send you back to my nest. While easier to get out of that place, you'll have a harder time finding the gate again. The gateways down here move to different locations if you wander off too many times."
"What?" Jaken shouted more than questioned. "What do you mean it moves?"
"Exactly what I said," the pheasant explained. "You wander in the brush too long, you'll start over. You start over too much, the gate moves and you'll really have to start over. Be careful where you wander off to, gentlemen."
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Normally, a lavish bedroom with candles lighting up the decorum inside would be a romantic sight. Statues made of bronze, terra cotta, or gold would have a much more interesting aesthetic. Coins would be like a wondrous treasure, jewels would become more radiant, and armor would hold a level of pride beyond victory in battle under the luminous fire of glory. Curtains made of fine silk or cotton would give a light and playful feeling, especially the pillows and perhaps lounging robes or slippers. A chandelier designed to look like half of the sun and half of the moon with small candles inside the hanging orbs looked so mystical and cosmic like a sky transitioning from a sunset and into a well-lit night. All of this held a sense of romance for most people.
"Anh! Anh! Anh!"
Then, there's the creature... who is in no way romantic. The creature as Meioshi politely called him was a male ogre with orange skin, a long red ponytail, and a hulking physical body. This was how he spent his time since he was bound to the Jigoku family and could no longer freely roam in the living world. It was an agreement he only shared with one of Unmei's descendants in exchange for certain... spoils. If she had to use her powers to fight certain enemies, he gained something from her to appease his wrath. No other descendant of Unmei, or even Unmei himself, went out of their way to satisfy him, so he took full advantage of any present the doctor gave to him. This screaming woman was one of them. He didn't receive women as gifts often, but he usually lucked out if a woman was set in her villainess ways. This woman, in particular, was killing young girls right before they reached puberty near Heiwa. She had no other reason beyond wanting to do it, so Meioshi offered her up instead of rightfully ending her life to avenge the deaths of the lost souls. The ogre found a good use for her to make up for it.
"Wider!" the ogre demanded, making a powerful thrust into the woman's body. It was enough force to rattle the stone walls. The woman did as told and took every strong thrust he excited to give. He was close to his end anyway. He then barked, "Clench it!"
The woman again did as commanded, and the ogre wreaked havoc on her body. Meioshi let out a deep sigh, trying to hold back the vomit threatening to emerge from her stomach, and waited for the ogre to finish up. She hated having to visit the ogre's lair for anything. Had she not had a time limit put on her or vague clues given to her, she might have been able to solve this mystery herself. But, she couldn't risk having the wolf risking the lives of others or taking Yuko from her family. Plus, the wolf already tossed Sesshomaru and Jaken to Buddha knows where. That could be the start of another war by itself! Hearing more moans and screams from the cave, Meioshi took a walk elsewhere to get away from the creature and his sport. She had to give the creature credit, though. He chose a nice piece of landscape for his lair.
The creature lived inside of a distant mountain next to an open lake with a wide beach and a singular warship that was the size of an emperor's palace. There was gorgeous flora and fauna living nearby. Though the ogre couldn't necessarily travel from his prison of paradise, he could enjoy a home that had every season, a variety of food, and, as long as she gave him people who had no remorse for their wrongdoings, he had spoils of a sexual, servitude, or combative nature. Since this ogre was also intelligent, she provided reading materials and puzzles for him to do. The creature was by no means bored like he had been in the past when Unmei merely sealed him away at the family estate. Meioshi simply felt it too dangerous for him to live so close to civilization and too harsh to send him straight to hell. Instead, she gave him the best of both worlds in exchange for power to defeat her main enemy.
She decided to walk to the meadows and enjoy the butterflies fluttering about. It looks the prison is still neutral from any changes to the atmosphere. The Netherworld wolf's powers were ineffective in this region. She wanted to wake the wolf up so it could see the meadow, but Meioshi didn't want it involved with the ogre. Especially not the ogre! Instead, she let the wolf sleep within her and picked a few wildflowers to bring to her boat. The wolf can enjoy them that way instead. Looking up for a moment, Meioshi spotted a deer walking about and sat down to continue watching it.
"You act like you don't miss sex," a gruff, deep voice sounded from behind her.
Meioshi sucked in a slow, deep breath before turning slightly to see the large feet of the creature. The smell of his sex was disgusting. She felt herself gagging, immediately regretting taking in that breath and said, "Hi, Shanwang."
"Meioshi," he greeted, waiting for her to fully see him.
When she turned around, she immediately came face to face with naked form and saw everything within a second. She snapped her head the other way and shouted, "Where is your loin cloth, man? Cover yourself!"
"You dare shame me?" Shanwang questioned, raising an eyebrow at the girl and folding his six arms. He was proud of his body for a multitude of reasons, but he liked teasing the doctor the most because she was both fascinated by his physical form for scientific reasons and repulsed by his form for moral reasons. He then chuckled deeply and said, "You gave me great joy in delivering that woman. Look at the results of your good deed!"
"Gods, NO!" Meioshi shouted, holding a hand up to stop the ogre from talking further. "Just help me solve this mystery, please!"
Shanwang huffed at this like a horse and asked with a serious tone, "What mystery? Does it involve that hinoki tree sucking you dry?"
"Yes, King Shanwang, now could you put something on? I can't unsee that!" Meioshi whimpered, shivering from the thought of having nightmares.
"If you can't unsee it, it is futile for me to cover up," Shanwang said with a vile smirk. "Be thankful it's not you I have my sights on. You're the finest addition to Jigoku name yet."
"Gods, stop!" Meioshi shouted in her hands with the full intention of burying her face in them.
"What happened this time, doctor?" Shanwang asked, chuckling deeply at Meioshi's reaction to his naked form. She was funny to torment.
"I went to Koridetudi to retrieve a divine weapon like the Kaishi Novum," Meioshi started, removing her hands from her face. "I was told it would help me travel further into the Netherworld to complete my ultimate goal. While I was down there, a wolf attacked me and led me to Baohu qi Voluptatis. I took it home to the sentry, and the beast followed it. It's been trying to get it back for a few days now. This beast, however, is a lost soul protecting the sword. The true guardian of it is missing. It seems to be a woman. The protector won't let me speak to her to get her to come back to it. I don't where to look or who to look for since it didn't describe her to me."
Shanwang stood quietly as the doctor finished and hummed with thought. He then said, "Why did it form a pact with you?"
"It gave me five days to help it find the guardian; otherwise, it takes my power and another soul to stay with it," Meioshi replied.
"It'll take you longer than five days," Shanwang said, blinking a few times. "But the wolf isn't strong enough to kill you. You'll just be moderately to severely weakened, depending on your strength by then. The curse it placed on you to never speak the guardian's name is the Bu Shuo Mingzi curse. The reason it placed it on you is because it can't speak it either. Whoever commanded the protector to not speak of the guardian did this before the protector left the living world. Because it couldn't find the guardian or speak of her when it was living, it carried over to its entrapment as a lost soul. The hinoki tree roots are at the base of your swan-like neck; meaning, your head or its head is acting as the trunk of the tree. Communication comes from the head and travels through the neck to express the soul. By cutting off the channel to do this, communication with the guardian is lost. Above your head is the true mystery, not the tree roots themselves. Where is the treetop to the hinoki tree? The sky is endless."
"Above my head is the treetop? In the sky?" Meioshi questioned, looking up to the sky.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone