The Birth




Kasamura, which means “Grass Village”, was set in a small valley in the south-eastern corner of Pangaea which was twelve miles from the ocean and close to a thick forest that always supplied good hunting for the men of the village and no creature within was too terrible, so it was quite safe for children to play in. It was a modest village that comprised of small stone huts and its population comprised of exactly forty people. These people did not have a leader, for they were their own people and acted as they wished. But they were also good people and never acted immorally. They were very religious and prayed to all the gods of the world. This made Kasamura very well liked among the gods.
The village was also home to a group of ninjas. Although the village had very little to fear from wild animals, they did become concerned that bad demons and monsters may also lurk in their woods at night and would creep into their homes and steal them away in their sleep. For this reason the village had appointed a group of ninjas to be on guard and scout the forest for any sign of demons that could cause harm and alarm. These men came from a long line of ninja lineage and the skills of the ninja were in their blood. The movements were as second nature to them.
Kiki and Gen were the children of the leader of the village’s ninjas. He and the rest of the ninjas in the village had been called away to Seiiki no Okoku, but had been promised by a priestess that she would protect his home until their return. Now they were looked after by their mother. The siblings often ventured into the forest together to play within sight of the village. They knew better than to go in too deep where they could be stolen away by fiendish hands and carried off to who-knows-where.
Kiki had long yet feathered dark hair and wore a violet short kimono with butterfly patterns and a purple hakama with sandals. She had blue eyes full of joy and softness and many a village woman said that when she grew Kiki would make someone a very good daughter-in-law.
Her brother Gen had slightly tanned skin from always being in the light of the sun, and his black hair had gone light in color. He admired his father greatly and had been taught some of the basics of the ninja before his father had gone away. Gen always wore the garb of a ninja with a gi and headband and carried a small kendo sword, as his father had expressly forbidden him from gaining a true sword until he became fourteen. He was the envy of most other boys in the village, as most of the other sons of the village’s ninjas had grown and gone abroad before this party of the story began.
It was one day when Kiki was playing six feet into the forest and Gen sleeping on the porch of their hut that it happened. She had bent down to pick up a flower when a shadow loomed over her.
The shadow belonged to Kuromanbo, the giant black winged serpent. It had the arms and torso of a man, wings of a raven, and black body and furred head of a snake. The creature focused its pitiless eyes upon the girl as it unwound its eight-foot long body around a tree trunk as it climbed down the tree. When the monstrous beast spoke, it was like a light yet hoarse whisper. “Young one, how fortunate for me that you are here. For I am very hungry.”
Kiki screamed and ran with Kuromanbo behind her. She had been able to escape the trees of the forest, forcing the black serpent to pursue her into the light of the sun, which his species loathe doing.
Gen was awakened by the cries of his sister and saw the monster gaining upon her with its wings outspread and claws held forward to snatch. “Fear not, sister!” Gen cried as he leapt to his feet. “I shall slay that beast!” And without any further thought, Gen sprang from the porch and ran to meet the beast which was hungry enough to eat two children and still not feel satisfied.
Before Gen had even gone more than fight steps further, and arrow of pure light had surged from the west of the village and struck Kuromanbo in the left eye. The monster snake never even had time to cry out before he dropped onto the grass in death.
Over the fearsome beast stood Priestess Mari, one of the two priestesses who had promised to protect the village upon departure of the ninjas. She was a gorgeous woman with raven black hair that flowed down onto the back of her neck and onto her shoulders as sleekly as a river flows and light violet eyes that could still burn with an intensity like that of the sun when confronting a being of darkness. Mari had learned to channel all of her holy energy into the palms of her hands and release it in the form of an arrow, which had led to the demise of many a demon in the past. Some claimed her to be descendant of one of the gods due to her strength.
By her right side stood her younger sister by two minutes Miko. Miko did not completely posses the beauty of her sister, for her hair had a somewhat frayed and dry look to it, but still held some beauty. She also had the same eye color and dressed in the same white kosode and red hakama as her sister did. Miko was content with her modest appearance and seemed not to protest that it was often her sister who was renowned for the abilities she possessed.
Miko walked over to Kiki who had fallen before Kuromanbo had been struck and helped her to her feet. “Are you injured, Kiki?” the kind priestess asked.
Kiki shook her head.
Miko looked to Gen. “Do not rush into a battle, whether you feel you are prepared or not. The only action that comes from no thought behind attack is often misfortune.” Then she looked to her sister who stood over Kuromanbo. “What shall be done with the great snake?”
“Let the boy tell the village elders that the snake has been felled,” Mari returned. “The villagers can make leather from his skin, weapons from his teeth, bones and claws, use his feathers as head decorations, and his meat is quite safe to eat.” Then she looked at Gen. “But before you make use of his body, remember to pray to all the gods for your fortunes that exist now and that are to come.”
When Gen said he would, Mari and Miko turned and traveled to their own hut.
The actions of Mari had not gone unnoticed. For many years Rai-On had been watching over the beautiful priestess. The more he looked upon her and saw the goodness in her soul and love in her heart for her fellow humans, as well as all other good living things, the more he found himself falling in love with her. He could also see how strong she was, and felt that if ever the time should come for mankind in need of a defender, that there would be no better mother.
Ever since meeting Rai-On in the war against the Jigoku, Abazure had fallen in love with her king. For many years she had hoped Rai-On would take her as his bride. Finally she had decided she would no longer sit and wait upon her throne for Rai-On to come and propose to her. She came to his chambers as he held a small sphere in his right hand and looked into it watching Mari. The goddess of feminine strength and powerful big cats cleared her throat after she entered.
Rai-On looked up. “Hello, Abazure. What brings you here?”
Abazure had decided that tiptoeing around the reason for her visit would get her nowhere, and so chose to be direct. “It is well known that no king can go forever without a queen. Even a king of the gods must have a mate. I say it is time that you take a bride.”
“You are right,” Rai-On agreed. “And I have already chosen who shall be honored to be my wife.”
This caused color to spread onto Abazure’s face and her heart to speed up. “My lord, you have chosen well…I am honored to be the first to hear such things and…”
“I am glad to hear such words,” Rai-On interrupted her. “You may tell the others that I am to visit the priestess Mari tonight in her sleep and bless her with child, making her my bride.”
These words caused Abazure’s heart to sink in her chest, but it would not do to show such devastation in front of Rai-On. “Of course.” She bowed and excused herself. That tramp! Abazure mentally raged as soon as she had left Rai-On. A mortal woman to be his bride!? What of his fellow gods? Abazure did not have the same feelings towards mankind as Warumaru and Kasei did, but she was enraged to imagine that a mortal priestess had been chosen for Rai-On’s bride over she.
Abazure traveled to a deep forest in search of Paison, the Snake King. Once she had found the king cobra, she produced a vapor from her hands to put his to sleep and milked the serpent’s venom from his fangs into a flask of gold.
Mari and Miko lived in a four room hut close to the forest. There was a room for cooking, a room for prayer, and two rooms for sleeping.
It was on one day that Mari sat on the porch of the hut in meditation as Miko sat in the room of prayer thanking the gods for the new fortune that had been placed upon them. Mari was very happy, for last night she had been visited by Rai-On in her sleep and had consented to be his bride. Now she held his child within her and so felt honored.
“Hello, sister,” said a voice.
Mari opened her eyes to see another priestess standing before her. She had auburn brown hair tied back in a bun and golden eyes and held a flask in her hands.
“Who are you?” Mari questioned the stranger.
“Can you not see?” the woman returned. “I am a priestess same as you. I am known as Noma, the Traveling Priestess. I travel the land blessing those who are worthy. I felt a strong spiritual pull to this humble domicile, and I can sense that there is something special about you, my dear.”
“Indeed,” said Mari. “For the king of the Zodiakku Gods has blessed me with child last night.”
“A grand honor indeed!” cried Noma. “Please, drink from my Flask of Blessings, that you may have a long life with your child when it is born.” She held the flask forward with both hands.
Mari took it from her and saw that it was full of thick fig juice. She raised it to her lips and drunk deeply. Then she began to cough harshly and pulled back, a hand over her heart. There was a pain unlike anything she had experienced that was racking her body. It was truly awful and felt as though she might die any minute.
As she coughed and her vision blurred, Noma vanished.
Miko heard the violent commotion and rushed to her sister’s aid. “Come! Come in, dear sister!” Miko lead her sister into her bed and performed a chant to prevent Mari’s coughing and convulsions and then used a spell to help her sleep soundly, but was concerned as she heard Mari’s breath was now somewhat ragged. Her hands glowed bluish-white with a holy aura as she held them above her sister’s chest. She has drunk a poisonous substance! Miko realized in terror. It has not been in her long, but it has done significant damage to her body. What did she drink and who could have done this to her?
Giving Mari medicine to easy her breathe, Miko went into the prayer room and called upon Tsu, the Queen of Slugs and a goddess of herbs and medicine.
Tsu came to Miko. She had pale golden hair like hay and hung it in two long braids. The Queen of Slugs wore a moss green undershirt under a green haori and a bark brown hakama and wore white socks and black sandals. Her jade eyes were unreadable, yet all to whom she had appeared before had said that when she exhibited her grand knowledge that her eyes would flash like a pearl does in the sun.
“Oh great queen Tsu,” Miko addressed Tsu, “my sister has been poisoned by an unknown substance. Is there any way that I may save her?”
Tsu walked past Miko and stood over Mari. “She has Paison’s venom inside of her.”
At this, Miko felt all hope drain from her. Paison was said to be a thousand times more deadly than any ordinary snake on earth. A tale had traveled far and wide that when he had bitten a woman who had stepped upon him; it had taken less than a millisecond for her to die even before she had fallen.
“There is no need to descend into despair,” Tsu told the heavy-hearted priestess. “Although there is no cure, there is a way to stall the venom. She was fortunate not to be bitten, despite the condition her body is now in.” She held out her left hand and a golden fruit like an orange and yet colored as an apple appeared in her palm. “This is the fruit of fortune,” said Tsu. “She is not so weakened by the venom in that she cannot eat. It will keep her alive for three days. In that time, she will give birth to Rai-On’s child. Fortunately the child has not been affected by the poison.”
Miko took the fruit and when Mari awakened fed it to her sister.
It was three days later that Mari fulfilled her destiny and birthed a healthy baby boy. Unfortunately, it was at this point that the death god the Shinigami, who dresses in a black kosode and hakama with a hood and wears a black oni mask, came to her. It pulled her soul from her body with the scythe it carries and led her off to Itadesu, where all departed souls go to await judgment based on their past lives.
Many mourned the passing of Mari, but none more than Miko and Rai-On.
Miko now knew it would be here lot in life to look after the one with whom she had ties with her sister. She had not been able to save Mari, but she would do all in her power to protect the boy she had been told was to be named Hiro.
Some years later found Abazure traveling in Akuma no Su. She was walking in the canyon-like terrain of the realm where demons dwell when she heard something behind her.
The tigress goddess turned to see a man as tall as a mighty oak tree made of gray stone looming over her. Upon his shoulders sat two demons.
One had pale blue skin and white handsome hair settled between his pointed ears. Save for the black socks, black cape with the red interior and greaves he wore, this demon wore a blackish-gray ninja tunic and pants. His eyes were cat-like and yellow.
A brown female demon stood on the stone demon’s right shoulder. She was completely bad and had pointed ears. Her eyes were so small that all that could be seen were her red irises. Like her comrade, she wore the same ninja garb, but did not have a cape and her sword was strapped on the left side of her back.
These were three of the Oni Corporals, Warumaru’s greatest soldiers. There were two divisions of the Corporals; The Akuma Ninjas and The Akuma Shirei-kan. The Akuma Ninjas were gifted at speed, but had no other power and relied on their ninja skills and strength to win battles. The Akuma Shirei-kan were far more powerful and greatly feared by all who had heard their names.
“What do we have here?” queried the giant stone demon Genbu.
“It is one of the Zodiakku Gods,” Maru the blue demon observed. He took out his small sword and licked the flat of the blade.
“Abazure,” smirked Gin the brown bald female. “To what do we owe such a visit?”
“I have come to speak with your master,” Abazure replied fearlessly.
Gin smirked. “Lord Warumaru is still recuperating from the horrendous injuries your fellow Zodiakku Gods inflicted upon him, but he is still capable of hearing and speech. Say your say to us and we will pass on your message. It all depends upon him if he chooses to do anything.”
Abazure nodded. “Before she died, the priestess Mari gave birth to a boy child. He is the son of Rai-On. I want him dead.”
By this time, Hiro had grown to the age of twelve and had made friends with the children of the village, mostly Kiki and Gen. He was now young and handsome and had golden hair as his father did, but it had a shaven look to it close to his scalp. Hiro also had his mother’s eyes. He wore a crimson martial arts top and white pants, but no sandals. The young demigod also had a red and white kachina cape and had been given a red pole with golden tips on his twelfth birthday.
This day he was being visited by Kiki and Gen who were now both fourteen. Hiro combated a samurai his aunt had summoned through use of one of her shikigami as Miko, Gen and Kiki sat on the porch and watched him.
Hiro dodged and ducked and weaved the strokes of the sword and struck back with his pole, as well as using it to defend himself and evade. His small size was one of his gifts, as it also made him rather swift and difficult for larger foes to hit. The young boy got under the reach of the sword and struck the face of the samurai with the end of his pole, causing his foe to fall back and return to being a paper doll.
“Very excellently done, Hiro,” Miko congratulated him.
“Thank you, Aunt Miko,” Hiro returned to her.
“It wasn’t that great,” Gen muttered to himself. “I could have beaten that shikigami in ten minutes. Not fourteen.”
“Hiro is a demigod, Gen,” Kiki reminded her brother. “I doubt you’d have lasted a second.”
“Hiro is still learning to develop his skills and powers,” Miko told the siblings. “I have made it my duty to teach him how to do so.”
“And I’m learning a lot,” Hiro told his aunt.
There was a rustle in the bushes behind Hiro. Out of it leapt a gorgeous golden furred doe. It had beautiful brown eyes and elegant legs. The creature dipped its ears up and down three times as it took in the four people before it.
“What a beautiful doe,” Kiki marveled.
Miko narrowed her eyes, intensely looking at the creature. “It is not,” said the experienced priestess. “It is a crafty demon.”
The doe ran off into the forest.
Miko took out two more paper dolls and changed them into two samurai. “Stay here and protect the children,” she instructed them. “I shall follow the demon and find out what it was doing here.” Miko looked to the children. “Get inside the hut and do not come out until I’ve returned.” Then she went off into the forest.
Hiro, Kiki and Gen sat in Miko’s room as they awaited her return as the two shikigami stood outside the hut.
Gen hated waiting. “I now have a true sword that my father left for me,” he said angrily. “I could have gone out and fought that demon with Miko.”
“My aunt’s a priestess,” Hiro told him calmly. “She’s been fighting demons before any of us were even born. If anyone knows how to deal with monsters, it’s my aunt.”
“How very confident you are,” smiled Kiki.
Suddenly there was a scuffle outside and then there was no sound at all. The children sat and waited. Then they heard someone enter the hut. It was not Miko, for the footsteps were too light. If someone had entered the hut without being injured by the shikigami, it could only mean that the samurai had been defeated.
Into the room entered Tengoth. The Jigoku resembled his brethren with the exception that he lacked the reptilian red eyes, having eyes like a human. His wings were identical to those of his father, and he had bird-like feet with spaced toes. Tengoth wore a black pair of ninja pants.
He stood in the doorway of Miko’s room, looking at the children as they looked back. His eyes finally settled on Hiro. “So you’re the one I’m looking for,” he said in a cracking reptilian voice.
“Yea,” said Hiro. “How do you know who I am?”
“It doesn’t really make any difference,” Tengoth returned. “You’ll be dead within a matter of seconds anyway.”
Gen suddenly stood up and held his sword out. “Get out of here, you scaled beast! I’m son of a ninja and I swear on my honor that I won’t let foulness such as you have your way.”
Tengoth leered at Gen dismissively. “You’re not the one I was sent for. Stand down.”
“I’ll stand down when you get out,” Gen returned. He rushed the demon with his sword drawn.
The demon jumped back and spread his wings out. He then swung around behind Gen and kicked his back with his bird-like feet. This caused Gen to fall forward with his sword falling to the floor. Tengoth then set a foot against Gen’s back to keep him down. He looked down at the boy with a dismissive look of loathing.
“You humans are so arrogant and ignorant,” he hissed.
“Leave him alone!” Hiro ordered Tengoth.
Tengoth turned to see the pole too late. It struck him in the face and caused him to step off of Gen. The demon then felt Hiro’s fist as it struck him in the stomach. He had never felt such pain before. As this child was not human, Tengoth had expected something unusual, but not strength like this. Air hissed out of his lungs. This hut was too small. He could not fight in such a confined space. With no other option, he ran to the door.
Hiro ran after him, ignoring Kiki’s call to stay put.
Faunus lay dead in the grass. Miko stood over the demoness with light brown skin and brown goat legs. She knew this demon as a daughter of the demon Warumaru, and feared she knew why she had been sent.
When he got outside, Hiro saw the two shredded paper dolls. There was no sign of the demon. But then he heard the flap of wings overhead. He looked up and saw Tengoth coming down after him. Hiro struck up with his pole, but this time Tengoth grasped it in his feet.
Tengoth laughed in wicked triumph. He would carry Hiro up into the sky and then drop him. The demon began to fly upward. Soon his task would be complete and the child who was said to be the future hope of mankind would be no more. Abazure had allowed her jealousy to doom humanity and paved the way clear for the Jigoku to once again control the world. That laughter died in Tengoth’s throat as the blast of holy energy plowed through his chest, utterly destroying his heart. Tengoth had not even gotten more than three feet off the ground before he and Hiro fell.
Hiro stopped his fall with his pole.
Miko did not speak to her nephew, but strode over to the body of the Jigoku she had just ended. “I swore a long time ago,” she told the lifeless beast, “that I would not lose another loved one. I don’t care who it may be, I will oppose any who attempt to harm Hiro.”