Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Rules Of Shamanism ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 5 )

 

 

 

 

 

Horo Horo had to get out of this dungeon. His eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, and he could see a lot better. This jail cell was completely bare, save for a few cobwebs. He tried to move around, and he found out that he could maneuver a little. He lay on his back and tried to slither like a snake. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. He managed to get his way to the door of his cell. It was a simple door made of horizontal aluminum bars. The door and locking system were severely rusted and corroded; he could probably kick it open. That is, if he wasn't tied up.

 

Then something caught his eye. One of the two vertical bars on the door was damaged. Part of it was worn away, creating a small notch. He might be able to use this to his advantage. Horo Horo wriggled his body until he was upright and sitting against the door. Horo Horo could just barely move his hands. He could move his fingers and grasp things, but he could move his hands side to side. He had to untie his hands first. He felt around the notch on the bars. He knew he'd found it when he cut his palm.

 

Horo Horo began to put his plan into motion. He moved and undulated his whole body up and down, in an effort to wear away at the rope. It was hard moving his body in such a way; he felt pain in muscles he never knew he had. He felt strands of rope fray and tear with each movement he made. He was making good progress. After about four minutes, he started to get the hang of doing this. He moved faster and faster, still fraying the rope. He felt a tear over his wrists. One of the ropes around his wrists had broken. He could move his hands up and down now, albeit very slightly. Horo Horo moved his wrists and body, fraying the rope more efficiently. This was getting easier.

 

Another layer of rope broke. His hands were even freer to move. He kept rubbing and fraying, rubbing and fraying. The final rope binding his wrists broke. Now he could move his hands about his wrists with complete freedom. He tried to feel the ropes wrapped around him within his couple inch radius of movement. He felt a budge on the ropes. It was a knot. Was Jamanen stupid enough to tie a knot so close to his hands? Apparently she was.

 

Horo Horo fingered the knot. It was an ordinary granny knot that was double-tied. He tried to undo the knot. It was hard to do, considering he couldn't see what he was doing. He maneuvered his fingers and began to untie the knot. He pulled and yanked at it. Finally, it began to loosen. With the still limited movement of his hands, Horo Horo pulled at the intertwined ropes. It loosened some more. He pulled until he felt one end of the rope come loose. He had untied the first knot. The second knot was a cinch to untie.

 

The ropes around his body were free. Now he had to somehow unwrap himself. He decided that the best way would be to roll on the floor. Horo Horo lay down and rolled to the other side of the room. He saw a loose rope make a trail on the ground. His upper body was no longer tightly bound. He could wriggle out of the ropes. Horo Horo manipulated his shoulders and managed to get some rope above his head. He scraped his body along the ground to loosen the rope more. He finally had enough room to move his arms. With a surprising amount of pain, Horo Horo unnaturally bent his right arm and pulled it out of the ropes and over his shoulder. His arm was completely free. He unwrapped the rope that bound his upper body. Horo Horo removed the gag from his mouth and untied the ropes around his legs and ankles.

 

He was now free. It felt so good to be able to move after he had been tied up. Horo Horo stood and walked to the door of his cell. Upon closer inspection, the bars were even more corroded than he thought. The stone that made up the walls was also disintegrating from decades of moisture. Horo Horo kicked the door and winced as shockwaves of pain rippled up his leg. This wouldn't be as easy as he thought. Horo Horo tugged and pushed at the door; it only budged a little. He walked to the other side of the room and looked at the door. Maybe he could bust it down. He then ran as fast as he could, aiming for the side of the door with the old, rusted lock. When he impacted it, waves of pain shot through his shoulder and side. But he made progress; the lock had shifted over ever so slightly. He decided to try again. With all the speed and power he could muster, he bolted for the door, His shoulder landed square on the lock and busted it out of the wall. There was a loud crash and a cloud of dust as the lock fractured and the door flew open. He was free.

 

Now what to do? Horo Horo had to save Tamao. Maybe she was still in her room. Maybe she hadn't been kidnapped yet, like Jamanen said. Horo Horo ran out of the dungeon and up the stairs as fast as he could. He threw open the door to Tamao's bedroom and searched frantically. She wasn't in her bed. Tamao was gone. Horo Horo sat down, almost in tears. His heart was beating uncontrollably; he had to calm down and think. Where could Tamao be? Horo Horo mulled over the conversation he had with Jamanen. There had to be come clues. Think! Then t struck him. He remembered the conversation he and Tamao had eavesdropped on. He remembered something about going to Tokyo. Horo Horo knew of a ghost town in Tokyo. That would be the perfect place to go if you didn't want to be found. Yes. That's where Tamao is. Horo Horo knew it. He felt in his heart that it was true.

 

Should he wake Chishioko or get the ghosts to help him? No, he didn't have time. He had to get there now. Horo Horo ran out of Tamao's bedroom, out of the mansion, and to the side yard. He saw the stables where the horses were kept. He had to steal a horse so he could go to Tamao. Horo Horo mounted the first horse he saw and rode it through the gates of the mansion, which were strangely open. He saw that the patrolling ghost was absent, but he had no time to think about that. Horo Horo's horse galloped away from the mansion and to the village gates. The ghost who operated it extended his palms towards Horo Horo, motioning for him to stop. “Whoa,” said the ghost. “Where do you think you're going, little boy?”

 

Horo Horo got off his horse and approached the ghost. “Open the gates!” Horo Horo ordered.

 

“I don't think so,” the ghost responded with a condescending tone. Horo Horo had no time for games.

 

“What's that?” Horo Horo said, pointing in another direction. The ghost looked where Horo Horo pointed, and Horo Horo snuck into the building to open the gates. The ghost followed Horo Horo inside to stop him, but the Ainu boy ran out just as the ghost entered. “Gomen,” Horo Horo said. He looked at a dagger lying near the building. He picked it up and tied it to his waist. He jumped onto his horse and galloped into Tokyo Market.

 

As he traveled through Tokyo market, Horo Horo's thoughts never stayed from Tamao. He knew she was still alive; he could still feel it. She was terrified. Horo Horo had to get to her before Kyoukan killed her. Horo Horo wouldn't let anyone hurt Tamao. He would get there on time; he had to. Failure was not an option. If Kyoukan so much as scratched Tamao, he would kill him.

 

 

 

Tamao came to and looked at her surroundings. She was still in that building. Her neck and face hurt tremendously. Her wrists hurt and so did her hands. Her wrists were tied together and she was hanging from a hook attached to the ceiling. Her feet dangled almost o foot and a half above the floor. It was hard to breath with her arms over her head like this. She looked at the man who had taken her captive. He looked so evil, yet he appeared to be enjoying this. Tamao was completely terrified, but she didn't know what to do. She felt so cold; she realized that her nightgown was gone. She was clad only in a camisole and her underwear. Tears streamed down her cheeks; what was going to happen to her? The man held a large, curved knife and approached Tamao.

 

“I see that you're awake,” said Kyoukan. “I have plans for you.” He lifted the knife and showed it to Tamao. She closed her eyes and cringed as he ran the blade across her bare belly. She wanted for the pain to come, but nothing happened. He hadn't cut her. She had never feared for her life before, but now she did. “You're not going to get off that easily,” said Kyoukan.

 

“What do you want with me?” Tamao cried.

 

“I'm going to kill you,” he answered flatly. “But right now… I want to see you suffer.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why?” Kyoukan repeated. “You want to know why?” he said in a maniacal voice. He retrieved a leather strap that hung on the wall. “You are in no situation to be asking questions!” He swung the strap and whipped Tamao across the bare side with tremendous force. She shrieked in pain; the strap had left a huge, bloody welt. “I'm doing this because it's one of the perks of my job. Torture happens to be one of my specialties. It's been a while since I've done this, so I need the practice. I remember the last person I did this to. It took him twenty-one hours to die. I'm hoping to break that record.”

 

Tamao swung her leg and kicked Kyoukan in the chest. He whipped her across the thighs and she shrieked again. “I always liked a victim who struggled; you're going to be fun,” said Kyoukan. He retrieved a small rope and tied Tamao's ankles together. Her mind raced with a million thoughts at once. She couldn't understand why this man was hurting her. What had she ever done to deserve this? She prayed for her life; she prayed that she would be freed.

 

Kyoukan wheeled a small cart over to Tamao. There were groups of tools on it, each one specified to cause the maximum amount of pain and least amount of damage. There were also bottles of various chemicals that Tamao didn't even want to know what they were. Kyoukan retrieved what appeared to be a steel-wire brush. Tamao closed her eyes and tried to think of pleasant thoughts; she had to ignore her surroundings. Kyoukan walked over to Tamao's backside. He took the tool with the stiff steel bristles and jammed it into the skin of her back. He then moved the tool back and forth quickly, as if he were scrubbing a floor. The bristles grabbed and tore at Tamao's flesh, leaving bloody streaks across her back. It felt like a hundred knives were stabbing her in the back. Tamao screamed as the cloth came in contact with her torn skin. She was in agony; it felt like her back was on fire. She had never felt so much pain in her life. The acid burned her wounds and her flesh; the pain was so intense that she fainted.

 

Kyoukan thought this would happen. He waved a small bottle of smelling salts under her nose, causing her to awaken immediately. “You're not going to get off that easily,” he said. “What you're feeling now is nothing compared to what I'm going to do later. Now I'm going to have to punish you for fainting.” He got the leather strap and began to whip her on every part of her body. She no longer feared death. She welcomed it. Tamao prayed that death would come and free her from this agony.

 

 

 

Jamanen left her office and closed the door. She had already planted a ransom note on Tamao's bed. Now she would have to check on Horo Horo. Horo Horo was probably on his way to Tokyo. Her plan was simple. Jamanen would go back to Tokyo to make sure Kyoukan has finished his job. When that was done, she would kill Kyoukan and Horo Horo. Jamanen would make it appear that Horo Horo had found Tamao's dead body and killed Kyoukan out of rage. Then, because Horo Horo loved Tamao so much, he would kill himself out of grief. Then he would return to the village like a normal day and everyone would find out that Tamao was missing. They would find a ransom note on Tamao's bed and begin to search. They would assume that Horo Horo had been kidnapped also, or that he had already gone out to look for her. In an effort to look as if she were helping, Jamanen would assist in the search for Tamao. But instead of looking for the girl, she would go around murdering other shamanic families. Being so respected, no one would ever suspect Jamanen of any involvement.

 

Jamanen walked into the library and opened the secret door to the dungeon. It was only two in the morning; she still had time to do everything. Jamanen thought about the work ahead of her. She would have to cross over all the ghosts who saw her, so they couldn't point to her as a suspect. Everyone would attribute that to the kidnapper. She walked down the cellblock of the dungeon and towards Horo Horo's cell. It was the second to last one at the end of the hallway. As she approached the cell, Jamanen noticed that the door was wide open. Perfect, she thought. She saw the heap of ropes on the ground. Horo Horo had escaped. Jamanen knew this would happen. Horo Horo had escaped and went to rescue Tamao. His plan was unfolding perfectly. Horo Horo had unknowingly sealed his own fate.

 

Jamanen left the dungeon and made her way out of the mansion. She pulled a talisman out of her pocket and prepared to cross over the ghosts. She quietly and systematically crossed over each ghost as she walked through the village yards and through the sleeping population. When she approached the gates she saw that they were open and the ghost who watched over it was absent. Horo Horo had definitely done this.

 

Jamanen exited the village walls and walked a couple hundred yards to where she tied up her horse. She pretended to leave the village just after nightfall to remove suspicion that she was in the village during the kidnapping. She had reentered the mansion just before she kidnapped Horo Horo, via the secret entrance. Very few people knew how to enter the village walls without going through the gates, but Jamanen knew. She mounted her horse and rode off towards Tokyo. Now she had to finish the final piece of her plan.

 

 

 

Horo Horo was almost to the abandoned suburb. He could see the dilapidated and collapsing buildings ahead of him. He stopped at the neighborhood's entrance. He knew Tamao was there; he could feel her presence. Which building was she in? She had to be in one that wasn't completely collapsed. He rode through the town and his eyes locked on an old bounty hunter's shop. He dismounted his horse and walked towards the building. This had to be it. Then, a blood-curling scream verified his suspicions. It was Tamao screaming; he had to save her. Horo Horo ran over to the building and looked in the window. What he saw made his blood boil. Kyoukan was violently whipping her with a leather strap. Her body was covered in bruises and bleeding everywhere. She had a large bruise on her right cheek and a black eye. Tamao shrieked and cried. She wished this man would just let her die.

 

Horo Horo's demeanor totally changed. His face contorted with an expression of anger and hate. This man was hurting his beloved Tamao, and he wouldn't get away with it. Horo Horo felt his heart beat wildly as he felt a surge of adrenaline course through his body. Horo Horo drew the dagger that he had found near the village gates. He kicked the door open and stood there, brimming with rage, yet fully aware of what he was doing. Kyoukan stopped his whipping and turned to see Horo Horo standing in the doorway and holding a knife. Before Kyoukan could react, Horo Horo held up the dagger and charged at Kyoukan. Kyoukan tried to duck out of the way, but he was too slow. With blinding speed Horo Horo ran and jammed the dagger into Kyoukan's body. It lodged just right below his left shoulder. With a stunned expression, Kyoukan collapsed on the floor. Horo Horo then kicked Kyoukan's head with all his strength, shattering his jaw. Kyoukan was nearly comatose now. Horo Horo violently kicked his body a few more times.

 

Then he slipped out of his violent trance. He had to save Tamao. Horo Horo quickly grabbed a knife from Kyoukan's table of torture devices and cut the ropes around Tamao's ankles. He then cut the ropes around her wrists and caught her as she fell to the ground. Tamao was barely conscious. Her face was bruised and swollen, and blood oozed from her nose and mouth. Horo Horo quickly took a blanket from Kyoukan's bed and wrapped it around Tamao's shivering body. “It's okay, I'm here,” Horo Horo said in a soothing voice. Tamao opened her eyes and saw Horo Horo's face. Was this real? Was Horo Horo really saving her? Or was this a hallucination? Maybe she was dead. It didn't matter. Tamao felt safe now; her pain was suddenly gone. She wrapped her arms around Horo Horo, and didn't let go. Horo Horo carried Tamao to his horse and mounted it. He had to get her back to the village. He rode his horse back towards the village, holding Tamao tightly. She still had her arms around him, and she buried her face in his chest and cried.

 

 

 

Jamanen had almost reached the Tokyo suburb. He saw twilight in the horizon; the sun would rise soon. She rode to the abandoned bounty hunter's shop and entered it. She was flabbergasted by what she saw. Kyoukan was in the corner of the room, bleeding with a knife in his chest. This was not part of Jamanen's plan. Neither Horo Horo nor Tamao was there. Jamanen's plan was failing. She hadn't planned on seeing this. Jamanen walked over to Kyoukan's body. He was still alive and conscious. “What the hell happened?” Jamanen yelled.

 

Kyoukan tried to speak. “The boy… he came… and took Tamao. I didn't have a chance… to kill her. He came and stabbed me… before I could do anything.”

 

Jamanen was furious. “You were supposed to be the best assassin in Tokyo! And you let a little boy do this to you? I can't believe I paid one million yen for this! You were supposed to kill her.”

 

“I wanted… to hurt her… first. Then I would… kill her,” Kyoukan said, trying to sit up. “Please help… me.”

 

“You want help?” Jamanen said in a crazy voice. “I pay you to do a simple job and you just botch it! But don't worry, I'll help you.” Jamanen grabbed the knife out of Kyoukan's shoulder, causing Kyoukan to yelp in pain. “This wasn't part of my plan,” Jamanen said. “You were supposed to just kill Tamao. And look what happens to you.”

 

“You were supposed to… take care of the boy!” Kyoukan said.

 

“I was going to take care of him after he saw Tamao's body. Then I would kill him. I knew Horo Horo would try to come here and save Tamao, but I didn't think he could hurt someone like you!”

 

“What are you… talking about?”

 

“Maybe you should know. I planned on having him come here and try to save her. Then I would kill him. But you let him get the best of you, and now I have to put you out of your misery.” Kyoukan gave a startled look. Jamanen brandished the dagger and leaned over to Kyoukan's face. “I was planning on killing you anyway,” Jamanen whispered. With one quick motion, Jamanen slit Kyoukan's throat down to the bone. Kyoukan coughed and gurgled as blood sprayed from his severed jugular vein. He died in milliseconds. Jamanen dropped the knife in the huge puddle of blood and stood up. She had to get back to the village. She might be able to salvage her plan. Horo Horo and Tamao were probably on their way back to the village. Jamanen thought she'd seen her horse on the way here. That could be them. Jamanen ran to her horse and quickly rode it out of the dead population.

 

 

 

It was just almost sunrise and it was time for Chishioko to get up. She always woke this early; she often had a lot of work to do. Every morning, she routinely checked on the mansion's spirit chief, Arachne. The spirit chief had a lot of responsibilities. She was head of the Secret Service, which included all of the ghosts in the mansion. Arachne was a dead captain in the Japanese Navy who asked for the job. Chishioko went down to the administrative wing of the mansion, and walked to Arachne's office. When Chishioko walked in, she noticed something was different. Arachne looked a lot more stressed than usual. She looked up at Chishioko. “I'm glad you're here,” she said. “We've got some rather unusual problems.”

 

“Like what?” Chishioko asked.

 

“I got some strange reports from the ghost by the village gates last night. It seems that, for some reason, almost half of the ghosts were crossed over earlier.”

 

“Crossed over how?” she asked.

 

“Probably by a spell of some kind that allows ghosts to enter the Spirit World. I think someone was here when he deliberately crossed over the ghosts. I have the whole village on full alert now, with extra ghosts on duty everywhere. But that's now the weird part.” Chishioko raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “The ghost at the village gates reported the most unusual disturbance,” Arachne continued. “Just about two hours ago, he was confronted by a little boy. It was Tamao's friend, Horo Horo. The ghost says that Horo Horo was on a horse and asked him to open the gates. When the ghost refused, Horo Horo opened the gates himself and ran off.” This information worried Chishioko. She knew what kind of person Horo Horo was; he would never ignore a ghost and steal a horse without a damn good reason. Something was seriously wrong.

 

“Have you checked on the mayor's daughter?” Chishioko asked urgently, suddenly bolting out of her chair.

 

“Well, yes. I posted three ghosts outside her door as an increased security measure,” said Arachne, a little worried by Chishioko's sudden change in demeanor.

 

“But did you go into her room and see her in there?” she asked. Arachne gave her a blank look. Chishioko cussed and ran to Tamao's room, with Arachne following behind her. Chishioko walked down the hallway and approached the three ghosts by Tamao's door. Seeing the look on her face, they quickly gave her the room. Chishioko stomped into Tamao's bedroom and saw her empty bed. When Arachne entered, she gasped. Tamao was gone. Chishioko saw a piece of paper on her bed and picked it up. She read it:

 

I have kidnapped Tamamura Tamao. If you want to see her alive again, follow these steps exactly. Tamamura-san, accompanied by no one, will take one million yen in silver bullion to the bounty hunter's shop in the abandoned suburb in Tokyo. You have until exactly eleven P.M. tonight. If you obey, Tamao will be released unharmed. If anyone other than Tamamura-san comes, if he is accompanied by anyone, or if he is one second late, I will kill the shaman.

 

Chishioko's eyes opened wide. She couldn't believe what she was reading. With a sudden dead seriousness, Chishioko walked to Arachne and pointed a finger at her. “Tamao has been kidnapped. I want you to get every ghost and spirit in the mansion and begin a search for her. I'll wake Tamamura-sama and tell him what's happening. And I want you to get an army of spirits down here and I'll take them to Tokyo.” Arachne opened her mouth to ask a question but Chishioko interrupted him. “Don't think! Just go downstairs and make it happen.” Arachne obeyed and went downstairs to gather everyone.

 

Now Chishioko had to wake Tamamura. She ran down another corridor to the other side of the mansion where Tamamura's bedroom was. She opened the door and walked in. He was still asleep. Waking Tamamura was just as difficult as waking Tamao. She walked to his bed and shook him awake. “Tamamura-sama, we have a bad problem.” He opened his eyes and saw Chishioko hovering over him.

 

“What's the matter?” he asked.

 

“Tamao has been kidnapped.” Tamamura shot out of bed. Tamao was kidnapped? He had to do something now.

 

“How do you know?” he asked. Chishioko handed him the note and he read it. He gave the note to Chishioko and put on his bathrobe. He didn't have time to get dressed. He started barking orders at Chishioko. “I want you to get the ghosts to start searching…”

 

“It's already been done,” Chishioko interrupted. “I'm going to Tokyo with some spirits to start a stealth mission. We can take out any kidnapper and save Tamao.”

 

“Good. He wants me to pay a ransom. I should probably do that to make him happy. But you and the spirits have to get there before I pay the ransom. We have to get to Tamao before we pay the ransom because they'll kill her.”

 

“There's another problem,” Chishioko said. “Horo Horo is missing too. A ghost said that Horo Horo tried to get him to open the village gates. Horo Horo opened the gates himself and apparently left.”

 

“Where would he go? Why would he go?” asked Tamamura. He knew Horo Horo had a good reason for whatever he did.

 

“The only thing I can think of is that Horo Horo went to save her himself.”

 

“Why would he do that without telling anyone?” said Tamamura.

 

“I have no idea.”

 

 

 

Horo Horo held on to Tamao tightly. He could see the village in front of him. He saw a multitude of ghosts and army spirits entering and leaving the village. Everyone stared at him as he dismounted his horse. Horo Horo walked past the gates and into the town, still carrying Tamao. She still had her arms wrapped around him; she refused to let go. The ghosts approached Horo Horo and Tamao in disbelief. They had just been ordered to search for her, and here she was. Horo Horo saw the ghosts huddling around him as he walked towards the mansion. They were getting in his way. “Quit getting in my way and make yourselves useful!” Horo Horo shouted. “Somebody get a doctor!” A few of the ghosts listened to Horo Horo and ran off in directions. Most of them hurried back to the mansion to report this to their superiors.

 

Chishioko and Tamamura were in the hall. Tamamura paced back and forth; he was frantic but tried not to show it. Meanwhile, Chishioko was barking orders at a number of people. It caught Chishioko's attention when a ghost rushed into the hall. “Tamao's here! Somebody found her!” shouted the ghost. Chishioko and Tamamura immediately followed the ghost. He took them to the foyer where Horo Horo was sitting on the floor, holding Tamao.

 

“My baby!” shouted Tamamura as he ran to Tamao. He picked her up and embraced her. What happened to her? Her body was battered and bruised. She had numerous cuts and abrasions on her skin, some of which were bleeding. Her left side and face were brown and purple with huge bruises.

 

“Papa?” said Tamao, looking into his face. She finally let go of Horo Horo and hugged her father. Suddenly she burst into tears and started bawling. All of the emotions she had locked up inside of her were released in a flood of tears and wailing. Tamao couldn't even talk; she was too upset. Tamamura saw Horo Horo, who sat next to Tamao. His face was pale and blank, wet with tears. Horo Horo tried to keep his composure. Anger boiled inside him. He had gotten revenge on Kyoukan, the man who beat Tamao. But Jamanen was still somewhere. Horo Horo wouldn't let that woman get away with this. This was all Jamanen's fault.

 

“What happened to her?” Tamamura asked Horo Horo, almost shouting to overcome Tamao's tears.

 

“Someone was trying to kill her,” Horo Horo answered flatly.

 

“The kidnapper,” said Tamamura.

 

“No,” Horo Horo said. “There was no kidnapper. Someone hired an assassin to kill her. I found her in a building in Tokyo. The man was… beating her.” Horo Horo tried not to cry. The sight of Tamao being whipped flashed through his mind. “And I saw him hurting her… so I stabbed him and kicked him till he stopped moving. Then I took Tamao here. I don't know what he did before he got there.” Tamao stopped crying and looked at the people around her. She saw the people who cared about her: Chishioko, Horo Horo, and her father. They were the only ones who cared about her. They were the only ones she trusted. She looked at Horo Horo and wrapped her arms around him again.

 

“You saved me,” Tamao whispered, barely audible.

 

“I'm sorry I didn't get there earlier,” Horo Horo said. He would never forgive himself for letting this happen to Tamao. He felt like it was his fault for letting her down. Chishioko put a hand on Horo Horo's shoulder.

 

“Come on,” Chishioko said quietly. “We need to get Tamao cleaned up.” Chishioko took Tamao in her arms and carried her. She started to take Tamao to her room to clean her up. Tamao started screaming and kicking her legs.

 

“No!” Tamao shouted. “Don't take me away from him! Horo Horo please…” she cried and ran to Horo Horo, wrapping her arms around him. She put her head on his shoulder and cried. “Please don't leave me. You're the only one who can protect me.” Chishioko and Tamamura saw how upset Tamao was. She didn't want anyone to separate her from Horo Horo, even the people she trusted the most. Tamao felt like Horo Horo was the only person she could trust. He saved her from that torture, and he was the only person who could help her now. Horo Horo was the only person who could understand her pain.

 

“Horo Horo, pick her up and follow me,” Chishioko said. “Don't worry Tamao, you can stay with Horo Horo. We won't take him away from you.” Horo Horo picked up Tamao and followed Chishioko through the mansion. Tamamura remained in the foyer; he wanted to be with his daughter, but he had work to do. He had to take care of the mess this all caused.

 

Chishioko, Horo Horo and Tamao entered a large bathroom with a huge marble tub in the center. Horo Horo sat Tamao on the floor while Chishioko prepared to draw the bath. “We need to get her cleaned up,” Chishioko said. “I'll get a bath ready, you stay here.” Chishioko walked to another room and talked to some spirits. They went off to different rooms and one of them began to fill the bathtub with a water pump. Chishioko reentered the bathroom and sat on the floor next to Tamao.

 

“The spirits are getting a bath ready for her,” Chishioko told Horo Horo. “It'll be a few minutes before it's ready.” Horo Horo watched the spirits go in and out of the bathroom, dumping buckets of boiling water into the tub. Chishioko stood on the side of the tub, swirling her hand in the water. When it was the right temperature, she dismissed the spirits. “It's ready now,” Chishioko said. She unwrapped Tamao from the blanket she was in and walked her to the bathtub. Chishioko helped Tamao remove her remaining clothes and Horo Horo looked away.

 

“Um…” he mumbled, his face starting to turn magenta. “Maybe I should leave you alone for a minute…” Horo Horo heard Tamao splash into the bathtub. He opened his eyes. It was safe to look now.

 

“Stay here,” Chishioko said. “She needs you.” Chishioko held up a washcloth and looked at Horo Horo. “Come over here, I need your help.” Horo Horo slowly approached the bathtub. He had never seen Tamao without anything on, and he was feeling very awkward right now. He didn't want to look. But he had more important things to do. He had to help Tamao, and privacy wasn't exactly a key issue right now. Chishioko handed him a wet washcloth. She herself began to wipe Tamao's shoulders, but she pulled away and screamed.

 

“No! Don't touch me!” Tamao cried, pushing Tamao's hand away. “I want him to do it.” Chishioko shrugged her shoulders and urged Horo Horo to do what Tamao said. Horo Horo began to gently bathe Tamao; he wiped the dry blood from her face. “Thank you,” she whispered. Chishioko now saw the full extent of Tamao's injuries. She was covered in welts and bruises from head to toe; it almost made her sick to see it.

 

“Roll over so I can get your back,” Horo Horo said. Tamao slowly turned over in the water. The hot water felt so good. She was so sore and tired from her ordeal. But she was with the people she trusted now, and the pain subsided. Chishioko gasped when she saw the wound on Tamao's back that was caused by the steel brush and acid. The center of the wound was gray and spotted with scabs and pus. There were blisters and chemical burns surrounding the wound. The area around it was orange, swollen, and very tender.

 

“What happened to you?” Chishioko asked, horrified. Chishioko was relieved that Tamao's father didn't see this; he might not be able to take it. Chishioko couldn't fathom how someone could do this to Tamao. Now Chishioko wanted to seek vengeance on whoever did this. When Chishioko found out who did this, she would give him what he deserved.

 

“He used some kind of brush on me,” Tamao said. “He scrubbed my skin away.” Images of her torture flashed through her mind. But it made her feel better to talk about it; she wanted Chishioko to understand. She didn't have to explain anything to Horo Horo; he already knew what she went through. “Then he put some stuff on it that burned it; it hurt so much.” Tears started to flow again.

 

“Don't cry,” Horo Horo soothed. “I'll make it better.” Horo Horo gently wiped around the wound; Tamao writhed and winced. “Sorry,” Horo Horo said. “I'll try to be more careful.” Chishioko knelt down and grasped Tamao's hand.

 

“Don't worry honey, it will be fine,” Chishioko said. Horo Horo finished cleaning Tamao's back, and she turned back over. Horo Horo had finished Tamao's upper body, and he paused for a moment.

 

“Um… do you think you can do your legs and stuff?” Horo Horo mumbled. “Because I don't want to… um…” His face turned magenta and he looked away. Tamao took the washcloth from him.

 

“Okay, Horo-chan,” Tamao said. “I'll do it myself.” Tamao began to wash her lower body. Horo Horo tried to avoid looking there. Tamao's mood had greatly improved now. She felt so much better now. Tamao was finished with her bath. Chishioko helped her stand up and wrapped her in a small bathrobe.

 

“Now I'm gonna put some bandages on you,” Chishioko said. When Tamao was dry, Chishioko went and fetched a roll of gauze and a jar of a special ointment. She was going to rub it on Tamao's back, but paused for a second. “Here, Horo Horo. She might want you to do it,” Chishioko suggested, handing the jar and gauze to Horo Horo. “First put the ointment on her back.” Horo Horo dipped his hand in the jar full of goop and pulled out a small handful. It was bluish and smelled minty. Horo Horo rubbed it onto Tamao's back. It felt cool and soothing.

 

“What is this stuff?” Horo Horo asked, gently massaging it into the wound.

 

“It's a special ointment,” replied Chishioko. “It has a lot of herbs in it that'll help her heal faster.”

 

“It feels cold,” Tamao said. She expected the ointment to sting, but was surprised when it didn't. It felt like someone had put ice on her. It was relieving. When Horo Horo had put the ointment on her, he began to apply the gauze. He wrapped the gauze around her back and chest like a mummy.

 

“There, all better,” Horo Horo said. Admiring his first aid work. Horo Horo put the robe back around Tamao's shoulders.

 

“Let's go upstairs, you need some sleep,” Chishioko said. Tamao agreed. She was so tired. Tamao began to walk slowly, but stopped. It hurt to move.

 

“Here, I'll carry you,” Horo Horo offered. He gently picked up Tamao and carried her like a baby. Tamao was so grateful about the trouble Horo Horo was going through for her. When they finally reached Tamao's bedroom, Horo Horo gently laid her on the bed. Chishioko fetched one of Tamao's nightgowns and offered it to her. Tamao sat up and removed the robe. She pulled the nightgown over her shoulders and lay back down. Horo Horo pulled the covers over Tamao and smiled.

 

“You try to sleep now,” Horo Horo said.

 

“Will you…” Tamao mumbled.

 

“Don't worry, I'll stay here with you,” Horo Horo interrupted. “You just go to sleep. I'll be sitting here in this chair if you need me.” Horo Horo leaned over and kissed Tamao on the forehead. This reminded him of when he was sick a couple days ago. Now their roles were reversed: Horo Horo was the caretaker.

 

“Thank you,” Tamao whispered as she drifted off to sleep. Horo Horo sat in a chair and Chishioko left the room. Horo Horo sat there and cried silently. All the emotions that he had locked up for the past night came out. He had felt all the pain Tamao went through; he felt every whip and every cut. He then realized that he hadn't told Chishioko or Tamamura what had happened. They probably wanted to know. He had been so focused on helping Tamao that he never revealed what had happened. He had to tell them, but he promised Tamao he would stay here. His problem solved itself when Chishioko and Tamamura entered the room. Tamamura didn't look like a powerful mayor now. His face was solemn and grave. He wasn't the mayor right now; he was Tamao's father.

 

“Horo Horo, we need to talk to you,” Chishioko said.

 

“But Tamao wanted me to stay with her,” Horo Horo protested.

 

“It's okay, we can talk in here,” Chishioko responded. “Let's go over to the table so we can all sit down.” The three walked to the other side of the room where there was a small wooden table. It was covered in Tamao's stuffed animal collection. They sat on the chairs in front of the table and pushed some of the animals out of the way. Tamamura grasped Horo Horo's hand and looked into his face. It was hard for him to put his feelings into words.

 

“I wanted… to thank you,” Tamamura managed to say. He wiped a tear from his face. This was harder than he thought. “What you did was more than I could ever ask. You saved my little girl's life. I can't thank you enough. I owe my life to you; I'll be in your debt forever. I wouldn't be able to live without Tamao.”

 

“Me either,” Horo Horo said.

 

“Horo Horo, we need you to tell us what happened,” Chishioko said. “We need to punish whoever did this.” Horo Horo nodded; he understood. “Now, you said she wasn't kidnapped. You said that someone hired an assassin… tell us exactly what happened.”

 

“Well… it started when I was kidnapped,” said Horo Horo.

 

“You were kidnapped too?” Chishioko said with surprise. “By whom?”

 

“It was one of your closest friends,” Horo Horo said, looking at Tamamura. “It was Duchess Jamanen.” Tamamura's eyes narrowed.

 

“What?” he said in disbelief. “She kidnapped you? What happened?”

 

“She took me to the old dungeon and tied me up. I had a pretty interesting conversation with her. She's the one who hired the assassin to kill Tamao.” Suddenly filled with rage, Tamamura rose out of his chair. Chishioko put her hand on his shoulder and sat him back down.

 

“Let him finish,” Chishioko said. Tamamura tried to contain his anger and listen to Horo Horo.

 

“Anyways, she took me to the dungeon and tied me up. When I woke up in there, she talked to me. She told me that she had hired an assassin to kill Tamao, and that she was going to kill me herself.”

 

“Why would she want to kill my baby?” asked Tamamura. “That coward. If she wanted to hurt me, she should have attacked me herself.”

 

“She said she wanted to kill every shaman because she would become Shaman Queen. She talked about the Rules of Shamanism, and how she would become queen if she killed all shamanic families. She said that you would be so grief-stricken over Tamao's death that you would kill yourself. Then she would do the same to every other shamanic family in existence. Then she left me alone and said that she would be back to kill me later.

 

“That's when I escaped. I wore down the ropes on the cell door and eventually got out of them. I got out of the dungeon and went to find Tamao. When she wasn't in her room, I had to think of where she would be. I remembered when Tamao and I were roaming through the mansion, and we heard a conversation between Jamanen and the foreign ambassador. I heard them say something about Tokyo. So I went there.”

 

“What about the foreign ambassador?” Tamamura asked. “Are you talking about Sakuya?”

 

“He wasn't an ambassador. He was an assassin. Jamanen must've brought him in here and told you he was an ambassador. Well, when I realized Tamao had been taken, I had to get there. I didn't wake anyone up because I didn't have the time. I took a horse and opened the gates at the front of the village. I hope the ghost there isn't mad; I had no choice. I rode to Tokyo and found the assassin whipping Tamao. I ran and stabbed him and kicked him. I think I might've killed him. Then I brought Tamao here.”

 

“I can't believe you did this for my daughter,” said Tamamura. “So… Jamanen is the one who wanted Tamao killed. She's not going to get away with this. You stay here with Tamao. I have some work to do.” Chishioko and Tamamura left Tamao's bedroom and went downstairs. “Chishioko, why don't you take a few spirits with you to Tokyo. I want to know if this assassin is still alive. If he is, arrest him. If he's dead, burn his body.”

 

“I'll get right on it,” Chishioko replied, leaving and preparing to carry out the mayor's orders. Tamamura went to his hall. There were still ghosts running in and out of the place; it would be a while until things returned to normal. Now he had to find Jamanen. He wasn't going to send a warrant for her arrest; he was going to wait until Jamanen came to him.

 

 

 

When Jamanen had ridden close to the village, she decided not to go in. She left and waited for a while. There were ghosts and spirits everywhere. If Horo Horo had told them what happened, Jamanen would never enter the village. So she waited for a while. She waited a couple hours until most of the commotion wound down. She decided to enter the village walls. She stopped and talked to the ghost. She needed to know if she was wanted.

 

“What's going on here?” Jamanen asked the ghost, feigning curiosity.

 

“Ma'am, the mayor's daughter was kidnapped. Then her friend brought her back. If you don't mind my asking, where have you been? The whole place knows.”

 

“Actually I just rode in,” Jamanen said. “I haven't seen anyone all day. Do you know who kidnapped her in the first place?”

 

“No, ma'am. To my knowledge no one knows who it is yet.” Jamanen stared blankly, thinking. “Is that all, ma'am?”

 

“Oh, yes. Carry on,” Jamanen replied. This was perfect; the spirits didn't want her. She continued walking through the small population and towards the mansion. She decided that she would walk in and act as if she didn't know what was going on. She had to take care of Horo Horo before he told anyone. That shouldn't be too hard.

 

Jamanen walked through the mansion's main gate. This was going to be hard to pull off, but she'd been in worse situations. She entered the mansion. There were a few more ghosts than normal. She walked past them, and none of them gave any indication that Jamanen was in trouble. She walked to the hall and talked to the ghost.

 

“Is Tamamura-san available?” Jamanen asked the ghost.

 

“Yes, Your Grace,” replied the ghost. “He has been waiting for you.” Jamanen smiled and walked into the hall. She saw Tamamura sitting on a chair, sipping a cup of tea. Jamanen approached him and gently bowed.

 

“Tamamura-sama,” Jamanen said. “When I came in just a couple minutes ago, a ghost said that Tamao had been kidnapped. Is she okay?”

 

“Yes, she's fine,” Tamamura said. “Horo Horo rescued her somehow. He brought her back home right after she was kidnapped. I'm glad you're here, Jamanen. I could use a friend right now.”

 

“Well, I'm here now,” Jamanen said. “Please accept my deepest regrets for what happened. I'm so relieved that Tamao is all right. It would be terrible if something happened to her.”

 

It took all of Tamamura's willpower to keep him from jumping out of his chair and breaking Jamanen's neck. “You know, I had an interesting conversation with Horo Horo just after he brought Tamao home. He seems to think that someone was trying to have Tamao assassinated. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?”

 

“I'm totally flabbergasted. Why would someone want her dead?” said Jamanen.

 

“Why don't you tell me? You see I'm not as stupid as you think I am. I know what's going on.” Tamamura gave a slight nod, cueing the ghosts to advance. They slowly snuck up behind Jamanen. “You wanted all shamanic families dead so you could be Shaman Queen. But apparently, your plan fell to pieces. I guess you underestimated Horo Horo's resourcefulness. Don't worry, though. You're going to have a long time to think about it. Mainly… the rest of your life.”

 

The ghosts advanced and each grabbed one of Jamanen's arms. Tamamura walked up to the restrained Jamanen. Tamamura then slammed his fist in Jamanen's face. “That is for trying to kill my daughter. You're lucky I'm such a nice guy, that I don't have you executed. Ghosts, take her away.” They tried to drag Jamanen away, but she resisted. They did not know that Jamanen was an accomplished martial artist. She quickly slipped out of the ghosts' grasp and ran. Tamamura ran after her, telling the ghosts to go after her. “Seize her!”

 

Every ghost and spirit in the mansion surrounded Jamanen. She slowly backed into a corner. There was no escape. The wall of the afterlife aimed for her. There was only one way out. “I won't let you take me alive,” Jamanen said. She pulled a small vial out of her pocket and uncorked it. “I'll see you all in hell.” She drank the contents of the vial and collapsed onto the ground. Her face contorted and her body convulsed. After a couple seconds of violent shaking, Jamanen went still. One of the ghosts cautiously approached Jamanen's body. He knelt down, and examined Jamanen. He checked for her soul. The ghost looked up with a blank look on his face.

 

“She's dead,” the ghost said. Tamamura walked up to Jamanen's body and nudged it with his foot.

 

“Coward,” said Tamamura. “She couldn't face her own fate. Take her body away, and burn it.”

 

 

 

Horo Horo was still sitting by Tamao's bed, where she was sleeping peacefully. He hadn't moved from there for over two hours. He didn't want to move. He had plenty of time to think. All the emotions he locked up came out. He sat there for a long time, crying silently. He thought of what it would be like if he hadn't gotten there on time. He loved Tamao so much; he couldn't live without her. Horo Horo's daze was interrupted by the door squeaking open. Horo Horo turned around to see Chishioko walk into the room, carrying a plate of food.

 

“You missed breakfast; I thought you might be hungry,” Chishioko said. She put the plate on a table and beckoned Horo Horo to come over. Horo Horo was hungry; he decided to follow Chishioko's suggestion. He walked over to the table and sat down. He started nibbling on the ham that was on his plate. Chishioko sat across from him. “I have some news for you, if you want to know.” Horo Horo nodded his ascent. “I went to Tokyo and found the place where the assassin took Tamao. The assassin is dead; his throat was cut.”

 

Horo Horo stopped eating and looked up at Chishioko. “I didn't but his throat,” he said. “That means I didn't kill him. Who did?” Horo Horo was slightly relieved. As much as he wanted Kyoukan dead, he didn't want a homicide on his conscience.

 

“My guess is that Jamanen did it. And speaking of Jamanen, she's dead too. She killed herself.”

 

“She got what was coming to her,” said Horo Horo.

 

“I agree, I would've killed her if I got the chance. There's also something else you might want to know. You told us about her reasons why she wanted Tamao dead, about the Rules of Shamanism. Well, Tamamura and I had a discussion about that. It turns out Jamanen's plan wouldn't have worked, even if every shaman family was dead.”

 

“What do you mean?” Horo Horo asked.

 

“She thought she would become Shaman Queen if there are no contestants for the tournament. She got this idea from the Rules of Shamanism. But apparently, she had bad sources. She must've read an archaic version. The rules were changed fifty-one years ago. The last living shaman isn't the one who would be Shaman King or Queen now; whomever He chooses is. Jamanen was a victim of her own ignorance.”

 

Horo Horo thought about what Chishioko had said. He was amazed that Jamanen had gone through all that trouble to perfect her plan. But she obviously wasn't smart enough to see if all her sources were correct. Jamanen got what she deserved. Horo Horo and Chishioko sat silently, while Horo Horo ate his meal. When he was done, he walked back over to Tamao's bed and sat down in the chair.

 

“She looks so peaceful,” said Chishioko. “It's good that she can sleep after everything she went through. It'll take a long time for her to recover. Physically, she'll be fine. But emotionally, it's gonna take a lot of work. She's going to need you. You're the only one who understands her.”

 

“I know,” Horo Horo said. “I'm going to help her every step of the way. I love her, and I'll never leave her.”