When I woke up, I was still alone. For a second, I couldn’t figure out why I was alone. I was opening my mouth to call for Bankotsu when I remembered why I was alone. Worry hit me like a falling anvil. Where were they?
This was bad. Very, very, very bad. I stood up and took off through the trees at top speed, heading in the direction the others had gone the day before.
The scent of smoke and blood sent me a little to the south. But, when I arrived in the destroyed village, no one was there. Bodies upon bodies, yes, but not my friends. I was practically twitching with paranoia. Where were they?
I ran off again, towards the east. The next village I came by had the faint smell of blood, but nothing too major. Bar fight and someone got hurt or something. I searched around a bit but didn’t see Bankotsu.
As an old man walked by me, I stopped him. “Sir, please, can you tell me if you heard anything about the village that was destroyed west of here?”
The old man became grave. “Yes. It was burned to the ground, it’s inhabitance killed by the Band of Seven.”
“I know that. Can you tell me anything about the Shichinintai’s where-abouts now?” I was trying to me nice, but it was hard to focus.
The old man laughed bitterly, I didn’t like the sound. “Their in hell now.” He laughed again.
I stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“The lord set them up. They were ambushed and then-” he drew a wrinkled finger across his throat. “No more Shichinintai.”
“They…were murdered?” I asked. This could not be happening.
“Yep,” he answered, grinning. He had several teeth missing. “Head sliced clean off by the Lord’s general.”
“You’re joking, aren’t you?” I asked. No, no, no. They can’t be dead. Bankotsu has to be alive. He couldn’t….die.
“Of course I’m not joking,” he said annoyed. “The Band of Seven got what was coming to them. They’re dead. Gone. Bit the dust.”
“Thank you sir,” I said, thoroughly disgusted by his words. I stared to leave, but he stopped me.
“If you want to pay your ‘respects’ to the bastard, they’re creating a shrine for them in a village to the north of us,” he told me.
“Thank you,” I said bowing a little.
I took my time going to the next village. How could it happen? How could they all be dead? I couldn’t even grasp the idea. My Banko-chan was gone. Dead. ‘Bit the dust’ as the old man said. I felt tears in my eyes. I never cried. I’d get cut and attacked to the point of death and I’d swear instead of crying. Now, I felt like I was drowning in emotions. I sat down in the middle of the path and held my head in my hands.
I grabbed my hair and pulled. I shouldn’t have let him go. I should have tied him to a tree or something. Anything. I should have insisted that he stay with me. If I had, he’d still be alive.
I stood up and wiped my tears from my eyes; the village was in sight. The threatening grey clouds over head told me it might snow again and I didn’t want to be outside when it did.
I headed towards the tiny village, nestled against the base of the mountain. I stopped the first person I saw, begging they didn’t recognize me as a demon.
“Sir,” I said lightly taking his arm. “I was told that construction for a shrine dedicated to the Shichinintai would be taking place.”
“Then you were told right,” he answered. “It’s up the mountain a little ways, behind the old Priestess’s house.” He pointed out the building. I bowed a little and let him go on his way.
Only one person was watching the large rock being put into place. A monk. He turned at my footsteps and smiled.
“Young lady, what brings you to witness such a sad memorial?” He asked me. I sighed in relief that he hadn’t recognized me as a demon.
“I heard that the shrine from the Band of Seven would be placed here,” I told him.
“News gets around quickly.”
“It does,” I said smiling sadly.
He went back to watching the shrine. “It’s too bad that we have no Priestess to bless the shrine. I, myself, would, but I can’t dedicate myself to the full time job of purifying it.”
That’s when the idea hit me. A Priestess. I could tell him I was a priestess here to take care of the shrine. I’d be around Bankotsu and the rest of the Band all the time then.
“Sir,” I said. “That’s why I’m here. I am a priestess.”
He gasped with joy. “This is wonderful!”
I smiled. “The hut,” I pointed down the hill. “I was told it was used for a priestess in the past.”
“Yes, yes. Use that,” he said. He walked towards me and took my wrist lightly. “Let us go get you settled and find you some better clothes.”
I smiled. This would work very well.
