Despite his soft, tell-tale snoring, Ashitaka was sleeping most unfitfully. He tossed and turned repeatedly, unable to find any peace. The howl of the wolf gods, sailing like a ghost on the coolness of the wind, did nothing to soothe him, and sweat rolled from his face and onto the ground beneath him.
In his dreams, Ashitaka found himself in the glade of the late Forest Spirit, gazing silently in wonder of its natural magesty. The gentle breezes whispered through the trees, and he swore he heard words intertwined with them.
In the moonlight I felt your heart........
Ashitaka closed his eyes, taking in the lucious environment through his other senses. The ever-present rustle of leaves and running water caressed his ears. The warmth of the summer season touched his face, almost tickling it, while the water flowing about his ankles moved so slow as to hardly be noticeable. The scent of the grass, the trees, and even the animals filled his nose with its prescence. A sharp pain suddenly darted across his chest and was gone as quickly as it had come.
....quiver like a bow-string's pulse.......
The voice was that of a woman, so distant, so faint, he could hardly even hear it at all. But there was no one present but himself, and he forced himself to believe it had been a trick of the wind. The more he tried to ignore it, however, the clearer it became without growing in loudness in the least.
His hand went to his chest, and when he opened his eyes, he found, to his horror, that Nago's curse had reappeared. The flesh of his arm was like that of a leper, black and rotted, but it did not peel away and fall as the actual disease would bring about. Ashitaka gripped the affliction tightly, fear, confusion, and shock flooding through him.
A light from the sacred little island at the center of the glade made him look up from his cursed limb curiously. He gasped, seeing that a girl stood in the heavenly spotlight. Staring intently, he saw that it was San, her face painted as it always was and with her white fur cape draped over her shoulders. The clay ears and the reminants of her mask were pulled back like a hood. Her long, pointed dagger, tight in her grasp, glistened.
In the moon's pale light, you looked at me.........
The demon in his arm began to writhe wildly, as though it had a mind of its own. Ashitaka restrained it with his other arm, forcing it into submission. Only when the cursed limb managed to slip free of the other's grasp did Ashitaka notice how it pulled him toward San, rather than for his weapon. Thinking quickly, he plunged burning mark into the cool waters, where its writhing withered down to nothing.
Nobody knows your heart........
Glancing up from where he had soothed his affliction, he saw that San was now standing directly in front of him. She stared down at him, her expression relaying her usual, tough warrior's glare. Her grasp tightened around her knife, and momentarily, Ashitaka thought she was going to stab him as she had threatened several times in the past.
When the sun has gone, I see you.....
An explosion that shook the air like thunder echoed over the treetops, frightening birds of all shapes and size into flight. He and San turned in the sound's direction, and suddenly, they could see Iron Town clearly. Another monstrous explosion thundered from the fortress, and Ashitaka could see that there was smoke rising from where the forge stood.
....beautiful and haunting but cold........
He saw briefly inside the forge; the fox god reared like a horse as it kicked the melting pot with its hind legs. It disappeared, and the ground beneath the pot exploded lethally, throwing up endless billows of smoke. Someone stepped out from amidst the black clouds, and though Ashitaka did not see his face, the figure seemed oddly familiar.
Like the blade of a knife, so sharp, so sweet........
The scene changed before him, and Ashitaka surveyed the valley between Iron Town and the forest. Yet another explosion burst forth from the forge, and its firey debris rained down on the forest, killing trees, creatures, and spirits alike. Ashitaka took in a sharp breathe as kodamas began to snow, dead, like they had when the Forest Spirit had been decapitated.
Nobody knows your heart.......
The figure from the smoke emerged somewhat in the clearing, surveying the damage. Something cold and hard began to rain down from the sky, and when Ashitaka held out his hand and caught a few pieces, he found it to be bits of gold and iron. The figure in the dark clouds laughed and danced merrily as the odd shower continued to fall.
All of your sorrow, grief and pain......
Everything - the earth, the trees, the sky - faded into complete darkness. San was no longer by his side, and as he stood up, the curse began to burn once again. Ashitaka saw his village briefly, and heard the words of the Oracle piercing his heart. Whatever comes to pass now, you are dead to us forever... He gripped his seething arm in pain and fell to his knees, screaming in anguish.
....locked away in the forests of the night....
Through tear-flooded eyes, he watched in horror as San, riding on the back of a wolf god, and Eboshi, aiming her rifle as best she could with Toki's help, attacked the figure in the smoke. At the last moment, the person ducked nimbly, entirely dodging the onslaught. Two blood-curdling screams pierced the air.
Your secret heart belongs to the world...
San fell from the wolf, the impact of the bullet burrowing into her chest and escaping out through her back, shedding blood everywhere. The wolf yelped as it collapsed lifelessly to the ground. Eboshi stumbled and dropped weakly to her knees, gripping San's knife, which was protruding from her crimson-flowing chest. She coughed blood and fainted into the sleep of death.
.......of the things that sigh in the dark....
Surveying the scene unfolding before him, Ashitaka could do nothing but watch and feel his life slipping from him. He ran with what little strength he had to San's side and tried to revive her. The hole in her bosom was big enough to allow Ashitaka to see the bloodied grass beneath her. Her eyes glazed with the stare of death, and a thin red trail trickled from her mouth. Too stunned to scream, Ashitaka pulled her lifeless body against him and cried heavily against her.
...of the things that cry in the dark....
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Ashitaka woke with start. It took him a minute to catch his breath and realize that it had all been just a dream. Cautiously, he undid the sleeve of his right arm and pulled it back. Except for the faint, harmless reminder that had remained, there was no sign of Nago's curse visible. A sigh of relief escaped him, and he turned to see San still sleeping by his side.
A low growl caught his attention immediately. One of the wolf gods was standing right in front of him, its dagger-like fangs only a breath away from him. It's lips were curled back into a tight, vicious snarl, and Ashitaka gulped at the thought of those weapons sinking into his flesh. It was only when he heard another growl behind him that he realized that the wolf was not focusing on him.
"S-San...!" Ashitaka shook the girl's shoulder. "San,... wake up!"
The wolf snarled as it pounced over the humans and onto the victim behind them. The noise woke San quickly, and she drew her knife instinctively. She couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. The wolf was engaged in a slashing and biting fight with the fox. Azure flames spewed from the fox god's mouth, singeing it's opponents white fur to a blackend color, but the wolf retaliated by biting it in the neck. Struggling to free itself, the fox materialized itself into a wheel of blue fire and spirited away.
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This is Chapter 5. Where would you like to go next?
