Ryuusei Muramasa

"Yaman!" I shouted into the mist-blanketed trees. He was with me just a second ago, so I thought, but now completely vanished. I shouldn't have let him have first watch.

In the past hour, reports had went around that each one of my squad had somehow got separated from each other. After a bit, radio contact became impossible because of some untraceable interference. These woods weren't very large at all, yet somehow the eight of us had gotten lost.

I called for Yaman again, shining my flashlight all around through the trees, and heard no reply. Something was out there, I determined, and decided to light one of my flares. Who cares if I attracted unwanted attention to myself now?

Closing my eyes, I focused on the sounds around me. The dry fizzling of the flare. The far-off roaring of ocean waves. An owl, flapping its heavily feathered wings somewhere above me. The muted sounds of crisp, dead leaves tumbling on the ground. Crunch.

My head jerked in the direction of the broken branch and my eyes sprung open. A dim light flickered through the layers of fog. "Hey! Over here!" My evanescent voice crawled into the fog, perhaps not traveling far enough. The bearer of the light continued on its course.

Sighing, I decided to follow whoever it was and direct them back to the flare. The cool mist in the air felt pleasing on my skin as I jogged toward my target, my katana in its saya swinging at my side. Rarely did I enjoy jogging, except when the temperatures were this cold.

As I approached my target, I saw that their light source was not one, but five. The thought did cross my mind, but I didn't act on it: the figure I was chasing was supernatural. Instead, I felt confused at why they would be holding five lighters in their hand as I grabbed them by the shoulder. "Hey! I was wondering..."

My eyes grew wide. The figure I had been chasing was not human at all. I didn't even notice the antlers until I stood face to face with it. The demon had a skull-like face, elongated and pointed like a deer's, yet it wasn't a deer. No--I had been wrong--the skull was only a mask. It had a troll-like body with knots and nobby joints like an old oak tree, wrapped with numerous animal skins and rough-woven wool garments. It's gnarled fingers on one hand carried five candles--each somehow attached to each finger.

My hand went immediately to my katana's tsuka.

"You should have not followed me." It said in a soothing tenor voice, a voice disproportionate to its appearance. It's dim eyes underneath the deer-skull eye sockets glanced down to where I gripped tightly on the handle of my sword. "Curious...I would not draw that if I were you."

"Who are you? Have you done anything to my associates?" I demanded.

After a drawn out period of silence, it answered, "My name is John." Then, after another long, awkward pause, "I have done nothing with your friends."

"John...what are you doing here?"

"I live here. But you should have not seeked me out.  You already have a light..."

"I mean, what do you do?"

"My business is my own."

"You....you aren't human?" I finally noticed its cloven animal-like feet.

"No." Its answer was simple and it wanted to keep it at that.

"Do you know what happened to the others from my squad?"

"No. Although, I am not the only light bearer."

"What else are there?"

The demon sat a moment in silence. "Jack."

"Jack?" I repeated.

"Jack." With that, it continued to follow the deer trail it had been previously following, and I stepped out of the way, watching with curiosity at the new creature I had encountered.

*	*	*

''I had only crossed the Atlantic twice in my life--going to and coming back from Germany. This time was no different than those previous two times. It was equally as long and boring. As always, the person in front of my had their seat reclined, and the person behind me had their feet pressed up against the chair, so if I tried to recline myself, I would just be getting in their space, which I didn't really want to do. Why did I have to be the nice guy?''

''I tried many positions for trying to fall asleep. There was the try-to-lean-forward-and-rest-my-head-on-the-fold-out-tray position, which proved impossible now with the guy in front of me reclining; there was the rest-my-head-on-the-cold-and-noisy-metallic-airplane-wall position, which left never seemed to warm up and always conducted the plane's low hum sound into my skull; and there was the twist-slightly-and-rest-my-head-on-the-head-rest-while-still-sitting-up position, which was hard to fall asleep in and ended putting too much pressure on my knee and back if I sat too long in that pose. At times, I could get anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes of sleep in a period, but I always was left unsatisfied. I hated economy class, only because I never had the first class experience.''

''After waking up with the sun beaming into my face (the guy in front of me didn't care to shut his window for my sake), I decided to return to another activity and pulled out a book from my backpack. Over the next half-hour, I felt completely distracted and couldn't get past the current page in the book. I silently blamed it on the little sleep that I had got. I resorted finally to one of the on-demand movies from the built-in console on the back of the seat in front of me. Browsing through the limited selection I had, none of them seemed to interest me too much so I decided to choose something that would be easy on my mind: Disney's Tangled.''

''To my relief, we made preparations to land about an hour later. I watched out the window and saw the coastline of England, then the countryside, various towns, and finally the city of London out my limited view of window. I had wished to visit here often--then again, I had dreamed of visiting many places around the world, just to get out and see the world. It seemed to me sometimes that Utah valley was a black hole of Mormonism--you are born there, you go to school there, get married there, and end up remaining there for the rest of your life. I didn't want to end up like that. I guess that's partially why I went into physics for my graduate work--because there weren't jobs around here for me. Or, at least, that's what I told myself.''

''I grabbed my carry-on and pack and patiently waited for the people in the front of the plane to clear out, and then followed the rest of them on out of the plane and into the tunnels. So, this was the Heathrow airport, I announced to myself as I left the baggage claim area. I am going to get so lost here.''

''Fortunately, I found the exit to the terminal by following the bulk of the crowd. My eyes searched among the cars and people standing outside. The letter I had was not very specific about how I would know who my escort was. I let my mind focus to search out for the color red. Several wore red shirts, there were a few red-haired women standing around, a kid had red sneakers...THERE. I saw a zipper pull with a familiar symbol: the Templar cross. Grinning at my discovery, I walked up to the well-groomed man in a wool zip-up jacket and faded designer jeans. "Hello. Are you waiting for someone?" I put out my hand.''

"Not anymore. I apparently found him. Llewellyn, I presume?"

''I nodded. "Take me to your leader, I guess."''

''"Well, not quite," he turned, hands returning to his pant pockets, and heading toward the parking lot. "You won't meet in front of a committee, or be interviewed by any ranking officer. I will take you to your dormitory and you have the rest of the day free. Do what you want. Tomorrow, however, you will begin your training. It is succeed or fail training. It is in-field; that means that succeeding is living, and failing is dying. Understood?"''

I didn't know what to say, so I grunted in affirmation.

''"This is my car," he gestured to a silver BMW Coupe. "Oh," he added, inserting the key inside the door lock, "you may address me as Felix."''

*	*	*

The flare fizzed its last burst of light and finished with a puff of smoke. Everything turned black while my eyes adjusted to the darkness once again. I used my ears to see during the time. Crickets chirping. Bullfrogs croaking. Wind rustling the leaves.

A sulfuric smell. My eyes popped open. A sulfuric smell was usually not a good sign.

My hand went instantly to my tsuka and I drew my katana. Finally, I heard the snarl. A hellhound. My pulse rose.

"Put your sword down," an aged woman's voice cried. "My pups won't hurt you if you won't hurt them."

My katana still remained outstretched as I clicked on my flashlight and shined it in the direction of the voice. Images of bony, wolf-like beasts which seemed to morph into other wolf-like beasts filled the light beam--hundreds of hellhounds somehow occupied the same place, and among them, I thought I saw the figure of an old hag. "Who are you? Jack?"

The hag cackled. "Jack? Ho, ho, no!  My name is Matilda."

What is up with this forest? I asked myself. Mysterious people, not quite evil, not quite good. "What do you want?"

"I'm looking for Aaron."

I stared blankly at the shifting image of dog and near-dead woman. "Aaron? I don't think...did you see anyone like me?  Anyone part of my squad."

"Humans? I sense them here...there..." Her eyes turned on me. "Not here."

We both remained there staring at each other. "So...uhm...what are you waiting for? Go find Aaron."

"You know where Aaron is."

"I don't know who Aaron is!"

"Nonsense. You will meet him."

"Wait...will? I will meet him?  Aren't you confusing tenses?" I tilted my blade slightly.

"Hm. That's right, you humans are always befuddled with time," she snarled. "You forget the future and remember only the past. How clumsy of you."

I lowered my blade slightly. "Uhm...sorry? I will tell him that you were looking for him when I see him."

Her eyes peered at me from amidst the the gray whisps of dog. "That will do."

*	*	*

'''The sword lay at the foot of the mattress of the top bunk, me on the other side. It was taunting me, telling me that I had no choice in the matter, that I was its owner, and it was my owner.'''

'''No, those were my own thoughts. I was making it up. Or was I? Had the schizophrenia finally caught up with me?'''

'''Hold me, it told me. Flaunt me, it urged.'''

'''I had heard voices when I was a child. Lions roared in the dark. Police communicated on toy phones. My parents talked to me when they were not around. And now, it was happening again. Again with a stupid sword.'''

'''Kill. I need blood.'''

'''I tried to call on God, but my thoughts were constantly redirected back to the thing. Clearing my mind did nothing, because there was always that distraction. I dared not touch it.'''

'''A knock at the door. I didn't bother to respond, since I was hearing things anyway.'''

'''Felix entered regardless and walked silently to the edge of the bed. He stood in silence with me, his eyes also fixed on the sword. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."'''

'''I didn't feel like responding. The anger that filled me had bound my tongue.'''

After a few moments, he whispered, "Its name...its name means "falling star."

*	*	*

Whenever I tried to get my sword to fit back into the saya, I never managed to. I held the flashlight in my mouth, trying to point it in the direction of the saya, and watching as I failed and failed again to return my katana to the scabbard. It was as if they were two powerful magnets, both with identical poles facing each other, always slipping past each other--some mysterious force was preventing me from doing so.

Working with my katana in the dark was impractical. In one hand, I held my flashlight so I could see, while in the other, I held my katana, which was meant to be held with two hands. I could always break out another flare, but I only had one left and I wanted to keep it in case of a real emergency.

My katana became heavy in my hand, so I tried to switch it back and forth between hands; as soon as one got tired, the other would hold it. For some reason, it seemed a lot heavier than I thought it should. I wondered if that Matilda witch did something to the sword. No, I reasoned, she probably couldn't have. It was an enchanted sword.

The fog began to clear up a little, and I saw a bluish-white light in a somewhat southeastern direction--or I assumed it was southeast. "Hey, Yaman! Is that you?  Hoku?!" The light bobbed a bit, so I left my gear next to the tree and followed after the light, katana in one hand and flashlight in the other. I had to be careful with the sword--one wrong move with it and I could easily slice into a major artery in my leg. I really wished that I could sheath it again.

The closer I got to the blue light, the more I realized it was not attached to a person. It seemed to hover there, minding its own business, until I heard it speak.

What is wanted?

"Sorry," I replied. "I thought you were someone else."

Who are you looking for?

"My squad members. They should have been the only...humans in this area."

What do you carry?

"This is my sword. I can't seem to get it back in its saya, though." I squinted, trying to see if there was a form in the light. "You're not Aaron, are you?"

Do I look like Aaron to you?

I couldn't see a form in the light, so whatever I had been conversing with was not a fairy that I knew. "I don't know. If you aren't Aaron, what are you?"

Didn't you learn that my name is Jack?

"Ah! You're Jack!  That's what...John told me."

Why do you doubt?

"I didn't. I just didn't know that you were Jack." I juggled the sword in my hand a bit. "Do you know where other members of my squad are?"

Do you think I would seen them?

"I...don't know. That's why I asked you.  Man!  What is with you supernatural beings and always talking in riddles?"

Why is your blade hungry?

I stood there, trying to figure out what it meant. "It's like I said, I can't return it to its saya."

Do you think I mean that? Why do you not feed it?

"What do you mean?"

Aren't you feeding it blood?

A heavy feeling of fear settled on me. "What do you mean...feeding?"

Have you not cut something to feed it blood?

"Are you saying that I have to cut...myself?"

Is that not what I said?

In the presence of the light of this "Jack," I placed the palm of my left hand on the blade of the sword. Applying a little bit of pressure, I let my and slide along the blade's edge, feeling hardly a thing. Blood flowed onto the sword edge. I withdrew my hand and attempted to replace the sword back in the scabbard. It slid in quite easily.

"Thank you," I said, feeling the blood drip from my palm, but the ball-of-light named Jack seemed to have disappeared.

*	*	*

''The dorms didn't look to shabby. The walls were painted a gray-ish white, beds lined the walls wherever they could fit them, and a narrow breakfast table was placed by the shuttered windows at the end of the room. No one else seemed to have taken temporary residence here yet, however, there was one bunk-bed with long, narrow box on the lower bed taking up most of the length of the mattress. I noticed that there was a sticky note attached to the box with my last name scribbled on it. So, this was the sword promised me, I realized, sliding my backpack underneath the bed and taking a seat at the edge of the mattress.''

I worked loose the lid of the box and lifted it off.

''What lay inside was probably the most beautiful handiwork I had ever seen. The gleaming honoki wood tsuka was wrapped with high-quality cotton string. I looked at the intricate designs molded and cut into the tsuba guard--there were many multiple star-like shapes, I counted eight, each slightly different and the details gold-leafed. The saya was a standard, plain black wooden casing. I pulled out the sword, my eyes wide as I saw the glistening metal. There was a smooth groove on the back and the tempered line of the blade moved along the sword like a serpent. I ran my finger along the edge, and realized what a foolish action that was. The sword sliced my finger deeply and began bleeding like mad. I re-sheathed the sword, stuck my finger in my mouth, and dug in my things for the first-aid kit that contained a band-aid.''

''Sims told me that he had a friend that could supply me with an enchanted sword, and this was it. I had no idea how it was enchanted, however. I looked around for some additional information about it--a note, a letter, some writing...anything. The only thing I found was a word on the inside part of the box lid. I supposed that it was its name and wrote it down in a small planner I had brought. After emptying my pack of unneeded items, I left the dorms and decided to find something to eat and find an internet cafe.''

''I ate quickly at a local shop right around the corner and moved on to an internet cafe about a block away that also offered telephone services. I purchased a calling card and stepped into one of the booths. I dialed the number of the calling card, entered Sims' phone number, and listened to the tone ring.''

''"Hello?" he answered.''

''"Hey, Sims," I greeted. "So I made it."''

"Swell. How do you find it so far?"

"I haven't seen much of the city yet. I just arrived, and grabbed lunch. And I already have the sword."

''"How is it?" he asked, excitedly.''

"A-MA-ZING. However, I don't know much about it. There was...nothing that...well, no notes, no information about it. I'm not sure how it is enchanted. Or anything."

"Nothing?"

''"I do have a name, I think," I assured. I repeated the name that I had written down and asked if it meant anything. ''

"Can't say right now. My Japanese is a little rusty, so I can't tell you its name right now. I'll have to call you later, okay? Or...since I can't call you, call me tomorrow, okay?"

"All right, then. Say, you know, I still have ten more hours on this card..."

"I'm not talking for hours long," he chuckled.

"Well, never mind, then. I'm sure to use it a few times in the next few months. Ciao."

"Indeed. See ya."

''The rest of the day was primarily filled with trying to get around. I did get to see a few museums, an aquarium, and the South Bank before I headed back to the dorms. No one was in the room again when I arrived, so I figured I was all alone for that evening. I did my usual night routine and tried to fall asleep, but the anxiety of what was to come the next day was way too much for me to fall asleep quickly.''

*	*	*

I became disoriented. I had no idea which way I had come from. My backpack was no where within sight. In hopes to find my spot again, I made a spiraling search pattern among the local trees. Minutes later, I found that the circular path I was currently on was too wide for any sort of accuracy now. I was undoubtedly lost.

Sitting down and resting against a tree, it made sense now why everyone got separated: the woods here were overflowing with distractions. With my pocketknife, I cut a strip of my shirt so that I could wrap it around the cut I had made in my hand. I tried then to summon the energy to start the healing process with what magic I could now muster. The warmth of my chi flowed up into my hand surrounding my wound, but never filling it. I proceeded with the healing, but it seemed to have no effect to the area of the cut. After making sure this was really happening, I gave up.

This night seemed to drag on forever. The sky showed no sign of daylight and I had not brought a watch with me, so it could still be midnight or be five in the morning--I had no idea.

Shadows seemed to creep all around me wherever I didn't shine my light. No kidding. I turned off my flashlight and listened to the sounds around me.

Heavy breathing. I was not alone. My fingers wrapped around my sword's tsuka, an all too visited location tonight. "Who's there?"

"Aaron," came the reply in a deep, gruff voice.

"Aaron...Matilda was looking for you."

"I suppose she is." His breathing in and out reminded me of a buffalo.

I turned my flashlight on and pointed it in the direction of the voice. Two cold, piercing eyes stared back at me. He had a beastly face, something between a wolf and a boar, and a humped back with a black mane heavier than a lions. I fell back in shock, almost ready to draw my sword--but something stopped me. My last experience with the sword had made me cautious. Plus, I noticed that everyone I ran into so far had no intention of attacking, so since he hadn't attacked yet, it was probably the same case here.

"You fear me," he grunted. "Very wise of you."

"I don't get you guys at all," I sighed, relaxing once again. "You're neither good, nor evil. You take on modern names, yet seem ancient.  I feel like I'm Alice walking through Wonderland...everything makes no sense and everyone is mad."

"I know what you mean. I know Alice."

"Wait...what?"

"Alice. The one with the wings."

"I'm...okay. I..." I swallowed loudly. "I don't care. I might meet Alice, I might not."

"You mortals worry too much." Aaron took the spot next to me and leaned up against the tree.

I shrugged. "Human nature, I guess. What are you exactly?"

"Aaron. Lord of Annwn." He sensed my immediate confusion. "Some might call it Hell."

I jumped. "Does that make you Satan?"

"No, no. You think of the Unmaker.  The Hell I speak of...is the Otherworld."

"Huh."

"The barriers between this world and mine are thinning. I have no idea why."

"You don't say." I doubt he heard the sarcasm in my voice.

After a momentary pause filled with his heavy breathing, he piped up. "That sword you carry...I know it."

That grabbed my attention. "You do?"

"Yes. It's an evil sword." A chill ran down my spine. "It has a bloodlust."

"I have felt it, I think. I suppose I need to get rid of it."

Aaron protested. "No! Hardly.  It hunts you if you let it fall into others hands."

"It will hunt me?"

"You feed it your blood."

"Only once!" I claimed.

"No...there are multiple times."

I felt an overwhelming dread descend upon me. "Jack said that once it was drawn, I had to shed...or 'feed' it blood, even if it be my own. You say that it has a bloodlust, that its evil, and I can't get rid of it or else I'll be hunted down by it.  What if I destroy it?"

His eyes followed the length of my katana. "I'm afraid that not even I could find a way to destroy it."

"Can't I just return it to the place it was forged, or something, and it will be destroyed?"

Aaron's hearty laugh echoed through the woods. "You've talked to Tolkien, haven't you? He is a great chess player--have you played him?"

"Uh...he's dead."

"Oh. Shame.  But no, you can't destroy it like that.  Perhaps it isn't meant to be destroyed."

"But...how can this happen to me?"

"What? Are you going to ask why your God has allowed it?  Shake a fist at Him.  Curse His name.  Desert him."

I sat in silence after his taunt. Finally, "No. This changes nothing about my beliefs.  Maybe it was meant to be."

Aaron chuckled deep in his throat. "Well, so be it. You make a good Templar.  Have faith in the future, no matter what lies ahead."

"Someone once told me, 'The future is only as bright as your faith and as dark as your fear.'"

The beastman stood up, grunting and snorting. "Well, I ought to continue. I think I hear Matilda making her rounds again, and I don't want her to ride me right now.  And, by the way, your friends are in danger.  Beware of Little John." He pointed in a seemingly random direction. "Go that way. And...I'm sorry for what you will have to do." Before I could utter a question in response, he had escaped into the deep darkness.

*	*	*

Ocean waves roared behind me, as I stood in the cold sand, looking down at the body of Yaman.

My sword in my hand.

Down at my side.

Bloodied.

With Yaman's blood.

*	*	*

When I reached the edge of the woods, the first sign of light began to touch the sky. I was out of the woods and it felt good! Still, I could not see anyone from my squad for miles around.

An ocean in the distance roared. I could see a small village also not too far away. Maybe, I thought to myself, everyone had left the woods, since we were all separated, and went into the village. Unlikely, I finally realized.

It took about a half hour before I arrived at the village. On the way, I passed an old church made of white stone. I felt tempted to walk in and sit down, taking in the ambience of the building for hours, but I knew I had to continue for whatever was waiting for me in the village. But what was waiting there for me was not at all what I expected.

Left and right, the roads were filled with dead bodies, mangled, torn, and bloody. The stench of death filled my nostrils every step I took. I had been wishing for breakfast earlier, but now my appetite had run back into the woods. Something had come through here and killed everyone...possibly everyone in the village.

*	*	*

''"I will be addressed as Sergeant Pepper," introduced our squad leader. There was a little bit of snickering among us. "That's right, you will be my Lonely Hearts Club Band, so listen up. I know all of you come from different backgrounds, so you will probably perform at different levels today, if we see any action.''

''"We have received reports of unusual activity around a coastal village east of London. We aren't calling it yet, but we are afraid that it is Draug. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Draug, think of a zombie. Think of a zombie that has been living on the bottom of the oceans for centuries. Think of a zombie that is meaner, stronger, and more driven than anything you have ever imagined. This is a Draug." I shuddered at the thought. "Get to know each other," Pepper told us. "In the moment of danger, knowing your mate's name is crucial."''

''The guy sitting next to me was Yaman, so he claimed, from Cardiff. He seemed much more prepared for this "training" exercise than I felt. He reminded me of a Marine I once grappled with--athletic build, but with the flexibility of a gymnast. I disapproved his choice of weapon, though. "You haven't seen what I can do with a hammer. I bet I could beat you with your katana anyday." I smiled politely at him, shaking my head, not wanting to start an argument about "who is better."''

''Others in the group were Canon, Hoku, Mary, Selene, and Kate. I introduced myself as Morgen. We were all about the same age, athough I guessed that Mary was probably the youngest and Yaman or I was probably the oldest. And from the sound of it, we all came from either the United States or from England, with the one exception of Kate, who was from the Netherlands. This operation seemed strange--I had expected it to be a bit more formal, like visiting HQ and go train in a courtyard somewhere. I never expected it to be so disorganized. Chit-chatting with the others, I heard that you could become an officer, but that required different training. We were just independent initiates, getting a feel for what the "real world" consisted of.''

''And here we go up against one of the Templar's enemies, the Draug. Zombies, I muttered to myself, why did it always had to be zombies?''

*	*	*

I could cross Kate, Mary, and Canon off the list. Their bodies lay among the countless dead in the streets. If this was the result of the Draug, what hope did I have? Why did I continue? Because I haven't found the rest, I realized.

A howling noise came from the North in the direction of the sea. I continued on in that direction to see what it was all about.

*	*	*

''"The ocean?" repeated the old man. "There's no problem with the ocean. Everyone's been disappearing into the woods."''

''"The woods? Are you sure?" ''

"Yes. I wouldn't go in there if I were you.  You'll get lost."

''"I'm sure we can find our way, old man," Sgt. Pepper assured, and turned on his heel. "Alright, brothers and sisters, we shall patrol the woods. I guess the lead on the Draug was wrong...although, if nothing turns up tonight, I would like to patrol the beaches tomorrow night.''

''"I will break us up into pairs. Kate and Mary, Morgen and Yaman, Canon and Hoku, and Selene you are with me." We piled into the van again and drove a few minutes to the treeline. "Set up camp in your selected area," he pointed to a map where he divided the woods into four sections, "and remain there. If you need help, light a flare.  They should be bright enough to see through the trees from a good distance."''

*	*	*

Sgt. Pepper's eyes bulged from their sockets. I studied the arrow shaft that pierced through his chest--it was one of ours. Who had the bow in the squad? One of the girls...Selene? So did Selene kill our squad leader? The questions were plenty here and the answers were few. Four more of us, including me, was still somewhere nearby. And I had a feeling that the howling I heard coming from the beach had something to do with it.

*	*	*

''"A rather comfy wood, I should think," Yaman gloated. "Just having a little camping trip."''

"Do you want to take first watch," I asked, "or should I?"

"There's nothing coming. These woods are small.  We're safe.  There's no Draug, and no creepy fairy tale spirits that live in these woods."

''"I guess I'll take the first watch," I muttered. ''

''"No. I shall," Yaman demanded, probably because he didn't want to be perceived as weak. ''

''"'Kay." I rolled my eyes. "Have you seen Princess Mononoke? This forest reminds me vaguely of that movie."''

"Yes, but I don't see any head-shaking tree spirit things. Oooh, maybe they'll come when you fall asleep."

''"Maybe," I yawned, leaning back and resting my head on my backpack. ''

*	*	*

"Yeeeoooooooh!"

"Hello?" a voice somewhere responded to the howl. I recognized that voice.

"Selene!" I yelled.

"Yeeeooooooooooooh!!" The moan had grown louder.

"Selene! Where are you?!" I rushed to the beach, kicking up some of the rough pebbles and sand on my way down.

"Hello? Are you all right?" she called out, apparently responding to something else.

When I made it all the way down, I saw Selene with her bow loaded and the arrow pulled back. The arrow was pointed at a dark, shadowy being. I stopped dead in my tracks. "Selene! What is that?"

"Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot!"

"YEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!" The spectre's scream hurt my hears this time and my hands went up to cover them.

"What do you want?!" Selene yelled at the shadow. I watched the shadow person zoom up to Selene from about 20 or 30 feet away, look her in the face, and with two stretched-out arms, reach around her skull, and twisted her head. The cracking sound was loud enough to hear, and she collapsed to the sandy ground. I stood in horror, unsure what just happened. The dark spectre turned and walked back into the surf of the ocean.

*	*	*

'''Felix sat with me in the booth. After a couple rings, I heard Sims' voice on the speaker phone. "Aedan? Aedan, good, everything is still fine..."'''

'''"I wouldn't exactly say that..." I began.'''

"Why? What happened?"

'''"A long story." I didn't feel like explaining it right now, and left it at that.'''

'''After a momentary silence, Sims spoke up. "About the sword, Aedan. I think Felix made a mistake."'''

'''"I did, Sims," Felix responded. "I'm here."'''

"Did you get rid of the sword, then?"

'''"No," I answered. "I'm...bound to the sword now."'''

'''"Bound?...What the..." '''

Both I and Felix had no idea where to begin the explanation, so we remained silent for the time being.

"The name of the sword...I did some research on it, and you won't like it. It turns out it is cursed sword forged by the famous Muramasa Sengo.  The true name of your sword is..."

*	*	*

"Morgen," whispered a low voice. I turned around to find Yaman standing a little too close for comfort and I stepped back.

"Yaman! Thank goodness you are alive!"

"Yes....alive." His shoulders were slumped as if he had no will left to live.

"Do you know where anyone else is? That is...Hoku?  Have you seen her?"

"She's dead," he said in a monotone voice. "Hung herself. In the woods."

I stood there aghast. "So we're the only two left? The driver?"

"With the villagers," Yaman grunted in a strained voice. "There was a werewolf in town."

"Werewolf? Did you kill it?"

"Oh, yes, the first two."

"Two?"

"The third..." an evil grin grew on his face, "...is still alive."

I furrowed my eyebrows, showing him that I was still very confused. "Where is..." I didn't get to finish the sentence, because it ended in a gasp. Yaman's features were changing rapidly into something grotesque and animal.

"My real name, Morgen, is Bisclavret. I want to thank you for my feast last night."

My katana sung as it left its scabbard.

*	*	*

"...Ryuusei Muramasa."

Ryuusei Muramasa


 * John: [| Wikipedia: Yan-gant-y-tan]
 * Hellhounds: [| Wikipedia: Cŵn Annwn]
 * Matilda: [| Wikipedia: Mallt-y-Nos]
 * Jack: [| Wikipedia: Will-o'-Wisp]
 * Aaron: [| Wikipedia: Arawn]
 * Little John: [| Wikipedia: Iaanic-ann-ôd]
 * Bisclavret: [| Wikipedia: Bisclavret]
 * Alice: ???
 * Muramasa: [| Wikipedia: Muramasa]