Strangers at a Farm
 
by Loren Dean

Ishi awoke, and jumped to his feet. Jinjiro, Takehai, and Naoki were still unconscious on the floor, though a quick check showed they still lived, and were uninjured.

Fingering the amulet-ward around his neck absently, he looked outside for Marako. He saw her through the doorway of the farmhouse. She sat atop her massive horse, alert and on guard.

Ishi moved for the doorway, but was stopped by an unseen barrier. Indeed, further prodding with a fragment of screen frame demonstrated a barrier erected at every open hole in the walls of the farmhouse.

Damn, thought Ishi, as he spat reflectively. Walled in. The spell's already operating, so I can't counter it. Hmm. He set about searching what was left of the house. The Kenku had said there was a ring in here somewhere, and that the beast it controlled couldn't have moved it. Maybe if I find it quickly I can use it to get out of here.

Marako sat outside on Motoko, and shivered. Jinjiro was supposed to be on the roof by now. She could see nothing of what was happening in the house from here, but could not bring herself to abandon her post. The other four could take care of themselves. She was on guard for the beast that guarded the ring, and it would not be wise for her to leave that purpose, lest they all be surprised.

A chill breeze whispered through the ruins of the village. It brought with it the last wisps of morning fog from the Shinomen Forest — wisps that eddied about the myriad graves that dotted the village. Someone had buried a lot of villagers. Someone, or something.

Ishi's search of the house was turning up empty. He stood in the center of the main room, thinking. If I were trying to hide a ring, where would I do it? I wonder if this house has a cellar? He got on his hands and knees to peer between the floorboards, and planted his hand in a puddle.

A puddle of blood. Jinjiro's blood. In fact, Jinjiro was bleeding freely from a head wound that Ishi watched widen even as he stared. Naoki was bleeding now, too, blood soaking from beneath his armor. Takehai appeared unhurt, but just to be sure Ishi moved all three of their bodies in case they had fallen on something sharp when they had passed out. Nothing was apparent. Then he heard the noise.

Marako was becoming nervously perturbed. Jinjiro still wasn't on the roof, and the other three could have searched the house twice over by now. Naoki had gone in to check far too long ago to have had no problem figuring out what was going on.

Marako dismounted, and drew her katana. She took a step toward the house before noticing the sound. It was louder than it should have been for her to have noticed it, and she mentally chalked that up to the fact that it was so incongruous with her peaceful surroundings.

It was a battle. She could hear men screaming and shouting. She could hear blades ringing off each other. And below it all she could hear a low rumble, not unlike a small earthquake. But there was nothing there. The noise indicated that the battle was happening right here, on this farmstead, but she could see no one. She broke into a run, calling out the names of her companions as she neared the house.

Ishi jumped to his feet. The house had begun to shake, and he knew full well that houses like this one weren't built to take much shaking. He shoved the bodies of his companions out toward the walls — the invisible barrier was still in effect — so they wouldn't be in too much danger if the roof gave. Having secured his companions as best he could, he drew a scroll from his satchel and unrolled it with a practiced snap of his wrist.

The rumbling grew louder as Ishi primed his spell. If he had to blow a hole in the wall to get out, so be it. Suddenly, the floor erupted, and the thing that climbed out of the cellar made Ishi's spell drain away like water.

It was as tall as a man, even knee-deep in the cellar, with blazing red eyes, talons as long as a wakizashi, and three long tongues that dripped something obviously caustic. On the plus side, it looked very frail, being comprised largely of a green, lightly furred hide stretched across a gangly skeleton with little muscle in between. On the negative side, its arms were long enough to reach anywhere in the house without its having to remove itself from the hole in the floor.

Ishi drew his katana, and charged beneath its reach to cut deeply into its side. The wound closed even as Ishi made it, and the creature turned its baleful gaze on him. Damn, Ishi's brain worked feverishly, it's a real Oni! Normal steel won't even slow it down. But where to find something useful?

Marako charged into the house with her fortune-sword ready, and pulled the oni's attention away from Ishi. Realization dawned on him, and he took advantage of the creature's momentary hesitation to dive for Naoki's body.

Naoki was continuing to bleed, and Ishi saw several tiny scratches open on his cousin's cheek as he tugged the enchanted katana out of Naoki's obi. Throwing the scabbard across the room in his haste to free the blade, Ishi rejoined the battle.

Marako spun wildly across the room, her armor broken in several places where the oni's claws had cut through it like knives on silk. She hit the wall wetly, and sank to one knee in a daze. Shrieking obscenities, Ishi plunged Naoki's katana into the oni's back, and held on for dear life as the oni whipped around to find him. The force of the oni's whirl freed the blade, and Ishi hit the floor hard.

Roaring, the oni lashed at Ishi with one of its tongues as the shugenja rose. The slick wet thing wrapped around his chest, and hugged tightly. Steam rose from Ishi's kimono where the tongue dripped its unearthly saliva, and he looked the oni grimly in the eye, determined to face death bravely this time.

The tongue went limp, and Ishi fell to the floor again as Marako's sword cut it from the monster's mouth. Ishi rolled about, tearing at his clothing. The oni screamed in pain and rage as stinking ichor filled its mouth, and it spat a noxious mouthful as it swiped at Marako. Ishi watched as the samurai-ko ducked the oni's swing and opened its belly. Unidentifiable entrails spilled onto the floor of the house as her katana opened the oni all the way to its spine.

It lurched, fell on its elbows, and collapsed in a smoldering heap, still knee deep in the floor. It faded to nothing even as Ishi finished ripping the last of his kimono off, sparing his flesh the tender caress of the oni's venom.

Naoki sputtered and sat bolt upright as Takehai jumped from the floor. Jinjiro groaned as he rolled over, grimacing at the effort. Jinjiro looked absently at his hand, and then practically tore a ring from it, tossing it away.

"What happened?" asked Naoki.