Princess Mononoke Fan Fiction ❯ The Chronicles of Princess Mononoke ❯ Return to the Origin ( Chapter 3 )

Return to the Origin

 

 

The dawn was drawing near as the navy sky blurred into soft indigo. Ashitaka slowly awoken from his feathery sleep as he saw San sleeping with her whole body faced to him; her shoulders were still bare but her chest was covered by her arms. Ashitaka smiled at her, but then he knew that he must lave to find the origin of his fathers purposes of the `Phoenix'. So then he risen from his side, and looked down at the kimono and the sleeves that were taken off by San. He quietly clutched onto his clothing and started to dress himself back up. Some of the rustling woke San up, as she saw Ashitaka's bare arms getting covered by his sleeves.

“You're leaving now?” San quietly asked which made Ashitaka turn around and smile at her.

“The earlier I leave, the less time it takes for me to return.”

“Remind me again...How can you return within days with Yakul gone?” Ashitaka pricked up and though to himself.

“I…actually don't know.” San leaned her upper half back up and scratched her cheek.

“I know.”

 

“I know it's early brother, but I need you to do a favor for me.” San asked her wolf brother with his snow white pelt.

“What is it?” a husky voice growled within the wolf's throat.

“I need you to help Ashitaka travel to the east and back.”

“What?! To the east?!” San then gave him a tender puppy face look at try to flatter the wolf's emotions. “Fine.” He sighed out. San then gave the wolf a great bear hug that made him choke a little, until she eased out.

“Thank you.”

“Please, don't ask for anymore favors.” San grinned at him.

“Kaya can stay with Motoko when you're not around.”

“She'll know.”

 

After San's little plea to her wolf brother, Ashitaka drew his weapons and his accessories readily attached to him as he prepared to make a leave. San walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder to retrieve his attention.

“My brother will help you guide you back to your village.”

“Thank you San.” He pecked her on the cheek as then the wolf grumpily padded down to him.

“Are we going yet?” the wolf asked rudely.

“Yes.” Ashitaka then looked back at San, when then the sun nearly drew up for it's first breath from the sky. “Tell Sasuke and Motoko where I'm going, and reassure them that I will return.”

“I will.” They both kissed once more until Ashitaka jumped onto the wolf's back.

“Keep counting the days.” Ashitaka spoke, when then the wolf pranced and then leaped out paws onto the dusted road that lead through the mountains.

What neither of them realized was that Sasuke watched Ashitaka leave. His face was low with fury as he observed Ashitaka departed to his course.

 

“How could he do this?”

 

The wind rushed and brushed past the wolf's streamlined fur as Ashitaka pierced the breeze with his body. The road was still mountainous and rigid for the two creatures to overcome. The day grew old as the sun dimmer from his rays. But then Ashitaka knew, they were closer than he expected it to be.

“Stop.” The wolf then kneeled slightly for Ashitaka to observe something he recognized.

“What is it?” the wolf grumbled. Ashitaka stared at something which figured to be some kind of wooden tower at a very distance. A watch tower to be precise.

“Reach to that tower.” They both began to race time when the sun began to die. The sky was still orange near the horizon but above was already plum. They find themselves now pacing themselves through a new kind of woods that the wolf never seen before.

“This looks so untouched, like nothing sinister had ever happened here.”

“I was far away from your situation when I still lived here.” Ashitaka replied.

They settled within the forest but no where for the watch tower to spot them. The wolf was sat down, licking his paws. But Ashitaka stood away and observed the lit town. The wolf stared at him for a little while; wondering why Ashitaka seem so restless around the village.

“Why don't you go and reveal yourself now? Why do you stay with me?” Ashitaka looked back at the wolf and sighed a little.

“Because they will kill me.” Ashitaka replied in one sentence, and walked back over to sit near the wolf.

“Why?” Ashitaka struggled a little to answer that question.

“When I was coming back from these woods, I noticed that something strange was going on. Three girls I came across to also told me the same thing. And then, when I was out in the open, Nago encountered here.”

“Nago?”

“Yes. He tried to attack our village; I tried to stop him, but I ended up killing him for nearly killing the three girls and assailing the town. Yet I ended up with his curse on my arm, and the wise woman told me that it will kill me. So I had to leave, cutting my hair and be left with one sentence: “Whatever comes to past now, you will be dead to us forever.”

“Your kind doesn't seem to know that blood lines are kept strong no matter what.”

“My kind is very strict. Some others called us barbaric, but we're not like that; we are just trying to preserve our habitual lives, we don't kill others out of spite, we only kill for tradition.”

“So why return.”

“My father lived here, and I need to dig up roots that uncover information about him. And maybe…I could see my sister again.”

“You have a sister?”

“Kaya.”

“Same name as the other one.”

“Yes. Only older than her.” The wolf looked quite sentimental at the young prince, even though it's harder for wolves to express complex emotions, more likely it's because their snouts are always wrinkly and makes them look angrily. “I don't know what she will think if she sees me again.”

“She'll be happy won't she?” the wolf snorted at him.

“Yes she will but…it's been a while since we met again; it's more likely that she's changed, and probably won't recognize me anymore.” Ashitaka sighed to himself and looked back at the village. But then, something caught his eye; there's a young girl walking in a plain of flat grass, she strolled around bare foot with black shin clothing, along with gloves that came up to her elbow. She wore quite a large hat with a red point at the top, whilst she was wearing a purple kimono with cover her naked body. But her natural features was what brought Ashitaka to his attention; her hair flicked just above her shoulders and could have been mistaken for chocolate, he could just make out that her eyes were exactly like his: grey.

“Kaya…” Ashitaka whispered within the air.

“What was that?” the wolf asked, but Ashitaka still kept both of his eyes on his sister, until moments later he looked away.

“Nothing, nothing at all.” Ashitaka whispered silently. “It's getting late; we should call it a day.”

“You mean call it a week.” The wolf sarcastically blurted out, but Ashitaka just smiled down at him.

-he smiles too much, is he just too happy? Or is it because I keep writing that he is happy? Never mind, back to the story-

“Your gratitude will be rewarded when we return.” The wolf then lowered his head and rested his eyes for the night. Ashitaka then turned back and looked at Kaya once more, wondering around in a scatty position.

“Kaya, come on!” one girl's voice called out to her, but then Ashitaka accidentally trod on a twig which then snapped. The young sister was caught by his distraction, and looked at the near hill where Ashitaka and San's brother were hiding. The young prince quickly hid behind the bushes, and tried to not make another peep or quiver in his motion. The minute that passed of Kaya staring into an abyss, was then died out as she followed the girls' voice. Ashitaka slowly perked his head out to see if he wasn't spotted, and then sighed once again as he leaned his head back…

 

The next morning rose up quite early within the dawn of the next day. Ashitaka lay in a quite crouched position on his side as he slept on the soft earth. His head was still faced to the view of where Kaya was walking on that last night. He opened his eyes slowly by a song from an early bird. He rose from his place leisurely as he was still quite tired. His decision of meeting his only blood, or betraying his kin, was still a heavy verdict for Ashitaka to bear. He could either see Kaya again and happy a maudlin reunion with her, or end you being treated as an intruder and be sent to execution. The choice was still difficult to decide.

“Maybe just for a little bit…” He thought to himself once more, until he took in a quick breath when he then saw Kaya running around freely, and freakishly early along the plain of grass. Ashitaka smile, once again, at the beautiful scene of Kaya promenading in the murky mist of the morning.

“I didn't know she likes walking about.” He thought to himself with a small sense of humour. Until, he heard a funny noise further away from Kaya. There was a small rustle in the trees a few yards away from her; Ashitaka grew suspicious of this rustling, and began looked even further in of this observation. Kaya heard the rustling too, but after a few moments, the tension drew off her, and carried on walking. There was another rustling. Only louder. Ashitaka then grew impatient and yearning for what was appeared to be stalking Kaya. His strain began to build up, and was worried that it could be an enemy.

Kaya then heard another twitch in the woods, but it wasn't by Ashitaka, in fact it came from nearer Kaya. She peered closer to the bushes on her right side. She delicately crept to the place where she thinks the noise coming from. She grasped hold of her sword, but didn't unsheathe it just yet. Ashitaka tried to focus his view point on the bush. Both of them might be at a far distance, but the suspense was still intense.

So they both waited…and waited…and waited…

 

A wolf, prodded his snout out from the bushes, it wasn't San's brother, because the pelt was bitter brown, and the eyes were honey yellow, the size could be nearly as fitting as San's brother, but the sight of this wolf could be mistaken as an anorexic, if animals CAN be anorexic. Kaya was still clutching hold of her sword and twitched a little.

“Stay back.” The young girl ordered, but the brown wolf just snorted a low growl at her. Kaya then unsheathed her sword. “I mean it!” However the wolf gave a louder growl at her, which then made Kaya swipe the blade over and slit the top bit of the snout. Small trickles and droplets of blood flew onto the grass. The wolf then turned a ferocious appeal onto his animalistic face; he filched away the sword that Kaya was holding onto and nearly cut her delicate skin. Kaya flinched away as the wolf leaped out from the bushes, and then, out from the darkness, came out two other brown-colored wolves so similar to the first one. Kaya then drew extremely worried; she was too far away from the village for her to run back to, and most of her exits were blocked. So then, she did what the first thing came into her head:

 

Run.

 

She pivoted backwards and sprinted down a hill, where then the three brown wolves leaped onto their paws and chased Kaya down. Ashitaka quickly grabbed hold of his bow and arrows, and sprinted up to Kaya's speed, but still being kept hidden behind the shadows of the trees. Kaya tried all her best to run as fast as she could, but the three wolves could outrun her by miles, thankfully she was already a few yards away when she began to run. But the distance grew short as the wolves catch up on her. One of them nearly dug its teeth through the ends of her kimono, but she got away easily. Until a single rock, tripped over her left foot, which sent her levitating and tumbling down to a stop. She rose back up and saw the graze on her knee trickling with blood. She didn't have the time to rise back onto her feet as then the wolves were only a couple of feet away. One of the wolves was in front; the one with the cut on its snout. The suspense of sweats began to drip over Kaya's forehead; she thought she was going to die. The wolf's teeth began to drip with saliva. The paws were pounding on the ground. The smell of death was near.

 

SWIPE!!

 

The wolf was suddenly crashed down. Kaya was shocked. The other two wolves stopped at an instance, and ran away into the darkness of the forest. The young girl slowly rose up to her feet again, and stared at the wounded wolf, and saw, what she thought…was a stone-head arrow.

Ashitaka turned away from the view when he fired that arrow at the wolf's hind leg, and saw San's brother staring at him.

“I didn't kill it, I had to…”

“Never mind, are you going to see her?” Ashitaka then looked down at Kaya, seeing the confused girl wondering where that arrow came from. She then noticed that the arrow was stabbed at an angle, with the feathered end sticking up at where Ashitaka was standing, so she then looked up, and actually saw her brother alive and well.

“One of us?” she wondered. But then Ashitaka hid away when he was spotted. “No! Wait!” Kaya rose to her feet and saw Ashitaka hiding in the shadows. Kaya took a few steps forward to see if can still spot Ashitaka. But moments later, she ran away back to the village.

“We must leave.”

“Why?” San's brother asked Ashitaka.

“I can't, I just can't…betray my kind…I'm sorry.” San's brother sighed a little as he looked at him.

“I understand. We can leave now if you want to.”

“That would be best.” Ashitaka then locked his weapons back together and lifted himself onto the wolf's back. “It looks like I won't find out anything about my father now.”

“That's not true; something is bound to show up.” The prince and the wolf then rode away from the forest and out onto the open road. Kaya returned, mysteriously packed and holding onto the leash of an elk. Kaya grew a serious face and rode on top of the elk, as she too then rode fiercely out from her village, and out of the state.

 

It was late in the afternoon, and the white wolf was just prowling peacefully on his and Ashitaka's way back to the west.

“Are you sure you're not regretting this?” Ashitaka sighed again; he just couldn't help but sigh.

“I don't know.”

 

Suddenly, a howl came from behind them, which made Ashitaka and the white wolf stop at their feet and paws, the prince looked behind, and saw in the distance, a brown wolf.

`It's that wolf again.”

“What wolf?” The white one then looked behind as well, as then a pack of seven came into a herd. “They're wild wolves!”

“Are they vicious?”

“Very if you mess with them.” Then the pack started to run down a hill and chase Ashitaka and the white wolf.

“We got to leave!” Ashitaka panicked when then the white wolf suddenly began to sprint down the road, with the brown pack following behind. The pounding of the paws stomped down on the hard earth; the wind commenced quick and fast as it split through the bodies of Ashitaka and the white wolf's pelt. The brown wolves then began to split into groups, which made Ashitaka look behind with alarm and tried to focus on escaping this attack.

“They're gaining on us!”

“I'm trying!”

The plains of grass just kept sweeping pass as the tension grew harder between the two creatures. But then, a brown wolf suddenly jumped pass the white wolf in front and just missed a bite from the face. And then more of them are getting closer, trying to take out a chunk out of both Ashitaka and the white wolf. Ashitaka tried to hit them away with his arm, but then one other brown wolf scratched its paw onto the white wolf's hind leg, and began to lose control.”

“Ashitaka I'm wounded!”

“Watch out!” A wild wolf violently nudged them both off their path, leaving Ashitaka to roll around on the floor before leaping onto his legs again; he stood in a bent position with his right hand clutched onto the handle of his sheathed sword. Three of the wild wolves encircled around San's brother, the rest on Ashitaka. The prince began to take in and out deep breathes to regain his adrenaline, and then gave out one final huff. But then, he slowly loosened the grip on his sword, and stood up right, looking quite blank at the wolf with the cut on his snout, and he saw the wound on his hind leg.

“I'm sorry, but I had to do it! You were going to-

But then wild wounded wolf took no mercy, and began to sprint ferociously towards Ashitaka. His eyes became broadened with a small sense of fear that he was going to die, but he forgot; he was half-immortal.

However, just as the wolf nearly touched his tongue on the human prince, a stone-head arrow shot through its head, and small droplets of blood flickered onto Ashitaka's face. The wolf fell flat after he rolled around in the mud to its death. The others looked at the dead body, and then ran away back to where they came without harming Ashitaka or the white wolf. Ashitaka stood confused; where did that arrow come from? Was someone watching over him? Just who? Then the white wolf walked up to the boy.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. We must get back before nightfall; otherwise there will be more of those creatures coming after us.”

“You're right.” Ashitaka then leaped back onto the wolf and sprinted back heavily to San and the others.

 

 

“When will Ashitaka be back?”

“Most likely tomorrow Motoko.” San reassured Motoko as it is n the beautiful dusk of the lunar time already.

“Sasuke are you alright?” Motoko looked at him as he laid his back on the bark of a tree with his arms crossed, meaning that he could be pissed off.

“I'm fine, thanks Motoko.” But then he walked away from the house and into the open.

“Do you think it's about Ashitaka?” San wondered.

“Maybe, I don't understand, he's just gone for a few days.” But then, they heard paw steps on the floor as they approached the two female warriors. They both looked, and saw Ashitaka and the quite wounded brother.

“What happened to you?! Have you been attacked?” San then ran up to her brother and observed the wound mark on it's hind leg.

“We've encountered some wild wolves.” Ashitaka explained.

“Wild wolves? How can there be such thing?”

“They're not from the west, San.”

“I know but, wild wolves?” Ashitaka huffed out a breath and then spotted that Sasuke wasn't around.

“Where's Sasuke?” He turned to Motoko.

“I don't know, but he doesn't seem too happy.”

“Okay…maybe I can talk to him.”

“Fine.” Ashitaka then walked away to find Sasuke, when then little Kaya (Motoko's sister) ran passed and hugged the wolf into her warmth.

“You're back already?”

“Yes.” Then Kaya caressed him again.

“Look at me; interfering with humans.”