The Twilight War (15 page)

The Oni shuffled towards it, sniffing curiously and angling its head, watching.

Groundspider clutched the spot over his heart. Nothing, nobody, could have survived that impact. He abruptly felt light-headed, almost to
the point of fainting, so he gulped in air to ward off the sensation. Heat flared behind his eyes, but no tears followed.

He was in shock, and he knew it. Why wouldn't he be?

Groundspider had just seen Moonshadow die.

Wedged into a niche in the wall, Moonshadow peeped out from under his rock cloak. The Oni stood over Rikichi's body, slightly hunched and intent, as if gloating.

Though frighteningly savage in appearance, the towering beast had displayed a fine sense of tactics: after advancing on him, it had suddenly changed direction to charge right through the dusty heart of the pit at its real target, Rikichi.

As Moonshadow watched, the creature spun around, sniffing the dusty air, red eyes gliding from side to side. The Oni's heavy brow fell and it began to stride in Moonshadow's direction. He quickly dropped the hem of his cloak and listened to the
pound-crunch, pound-crunch
of its approaching steps. He struggled to still himself, holding his eyes fixed, slowing his breath, hoping it might not detect him.

The loud footfall stopped abruptly. It was close, but he wasn't sure
how
close.

Moonshadow clenched his teeth. What now? Was it out of range, or could it get him with that tree trunk? He listened. Nothing! What if it was creeping up on him?

Suddenly he was whipped from his spot and slung, spinning through the air, into the centre of the dusty pit. He controlled his landing and rolled, turning and coming up in a fighting stance. He unsheathed his sword with one hand and wiped
dust from his eyes with the other. Nothing flapped around him. His cloak was gone.

Moonshadow stared in astonishment. The Oni loomed over him, the torn rock cloak dangling from one of its huge, clawed hands. It dropped to one knee, fixed him with a hateful stare, then took a deep breath and roared murderously. Moonshadow swayed in a jet of hot air, the loose hairs round his face flying back in the gust.

He scowled at the ogre's breath, a fetid stench that reminded him of rotting fish. From above came a wave of cheers and mocking remarks. These Fuma seemed typically indifferent to the death of their man and were looking forward to the rest of the show. He stared up at the monster that was about to kill him too, his sword hand dropping. Things were hopeless! The pit was too deep and its sides too sheer for a jumping or scrambling escape. The creature appeared indestructible. Moonshadow cursed his fate. He'd escaped being sliced up by men, but was now going to be stomped, clubbed or dashed against a rock wall by a huge, angry beast.

He looked up sharply.

A beast! It was massive, powerful and enraged but in the end … just another
beast
!

He met the Oni's eyes, dropped his sword at its feet and concentrated hard. The ogre frowned as Moonshadow's hands trembled.

Feeling the mind-connection starting, Moonshadow closed his eyes.

He sensed strong resistance, as if the beast was fighting off his will with its own. Summoning up his determination, Moonshadow pressed hard for a link with the Oni, blocking out the sounds of his own breathing and the Fuma voices from above.

Hurling his probing thoughts deep into the creature's mind as if they were shuriken, he struggled to forge the crucial link …

Suddenly his mind filled with strange, hazy images, each one quickly replacing the last. Moonshadow saw a steep mountainside, free of snow and covered instead with a lush forest, thick with ferns and creepers. Then he saw the ground split open, wide enough to swallow a village, rocks and trees tumbling into the cleft. He clutched his stomach as a nauseous falling sensation gripped him. Next he saw pitch darkness, then endless galleries of orange rock, floors glittering with crystals, vaulting ceilings jagged with long, pointy crags that shone with weird, glowing stones.

Finally he saw a line of hooded men brandishing long spears and flaming torches tied to poles. They advanced menacingly as a great wooden door swung shut behind them. An ever-changing wash of emotions accompanied the images: first he felt lazy contentment, then fear and panic, next frustration and, finally, white-hot anger.

Moonshadow opened his eyes, swallowed and looked up at the ogre.

Its face was passive now, its eyes glowing bright green.

Groundspider watched incredulously as the Oni turned and looked up at the crowd of Fuma lining the pit. What a turnabout this was! Moonshadow was alive, it had been Rikichi that the ogre had killed, and if Groundspider knew the kid at all, he'd
somehow
just linked himself to that thing! If only he could now hit the sight-control level …

‘Do it.' Groundspider broke into a wicked smile. ‘You know you want to.'

As Moonshadow stood motionless, the Oni ran for the wall of the pit. Reaching the rock face, the ogre spun its tree-club until the frayed end was uppermost. It jammed the thin end into the dusty floor, then rammed the frayed trunk tip into the wall so that the club was wedged on an angle. A wave of muttering swept the Fuma onlookers as the Oni ran back out into the centre of the pit. Groundspider frowned, also perplexed.

What
was
the kid making the beast do?

The Oni turned and with a deafening war cry rushed the side of the pit. Groundspider laughed with awe as he realised what Moonshadow was
up to. Launching itself into a calculated jump, the ogre landed with one great foot on top of its frayed club, then pushed off and up hard, arms outstretched, clawing for the edge of the pit. With a wave of shouts the Fuma panicked, scrambling into a tight bunch on the lip. Big mistake!

Securing a handhold, the Oni hauled itself up onto the edge where it immediately snatched for its nearest enemy.

Groundspider hastily slithered back along his ledge, retracing his steps. Time to rejoin the fight! He glanced down a last time before re-entering the tunnel to the gallery floor. The melee below caused a broad grin to break over his dusty face.

A long arm flashing back and forth, the Oni hurled Fuma agents one by one over its shoulder and into the pit. Terrified men trying to escape stumbled over each other and plunged from the edge. Groundspider chuckled as he hurried into the tunnel. Any Fuma who survived that plunge would be in no shape to take on the likes of Moonshadow. Besides, with that Oni now under his control, the kid wouldn't be staying in that pit for long!

By the time he emerged in the gallery, every Fuma ninja was in the pit, and the Oni was climbing back down after them. Moonshadow had retrieved his sword. Groundspider watched, slack-jawed with wonder, as his prediction came true:
the Oni picked Moonshadow up gently and tossed him – with a smooth underarm throw – right up to the edge of the pit.

Moonshadow snatched a hold. Groundspider ran to him and helped him up.

‘Unbelievable!' He grinned admiringly. The kid had done it! ‘What now?'

Moonshadow dusted himself off and spun on his heel. ‘One last thing.'

The Oni was standing in the pit, terrified Fuma scuttling, limping or staggering in all directions around it. It seemed to be, in the absence of current orders from Moonshadow, in a kind of trance. Groundspider watched Moonshadow hunch slightly, staring at the ogre.

Suddenly it flinched, shook its mighty horned head and blinked several times. The Oni looked about, took in the many Fuma now scrambling vainly at the walls, and it broke into a wide, scary grin. The creature threw back its head, roared with triumph, then fell upon the first of its jailers with merciless glee. Gasps, then screams, rose from the pit.

‘I cut the link,' Moonshadow said grimly. ‘They must now face their karma for trapping an ancient creature. Let's go open Snowhawk's cage.'

As they turned to leave, rapid footfall sounded in the exit tunnel.

Hearing the screams from the pit, the guards outside the interrogation room left their posts to investigate. As they dashed into the dome-shaped gallery with their spears extended, Moonshadow and Groundspider leapt from either side of the entrance.

Taken by surprise, both guards were knocked out in seconds. Moonshadow dropped to one knee, quickly searched their belts and then held up a key. Leading Groundspider, he hurried back through the man-made tunnel, out through its open door and then dashed along that gallery's floor to the interrogation chamber.

Approaching its door, Moonshadow patted his jacket until his palm found the stolen scroll of poison and antidote formulas. He let out a sigh of relief. If he'd lost
that
in the dust of the Oni pit, all hope of saving Eagle might now be dashed!

Groundspider caught up to him and they both bobbed down. Moonshadow tested the door with slight finger-pressure.

‘It's not locked,' he whispered. ‘What does that mean? Is this a trap?'

‘Probably more guards inside.' Groundspider grinned. ‘You ready?'

The big shinobi stepped back a few paces and charged the door, hurling his solid frame against its wood with hip and shoulder. The door swung inwards wildly, jolting as it struck someone
standing just inside the chamber. Groundspider ducked low, rolled in, then rose to his feet, drawing his sword fast with a sharp
snick
.

Moonshadow leapt over him, sword above his head, feet tucked up under his body. He landed and turned a circle, eyes sweeping the long room.
Where was she?

There were
two
internal guards. One had been hurled head-first into the opposite wall by Groundspider's violent door-opening. Unconscious, the ninja lay in a crumpled heap, but his partner, a tall young male, was striding for Moonshadow, raising a kusarikama in his hands.

Moonshadow's eyes flicked round the chamber. At the far end, half in shadow, Snowhawk was propped against a wall, a figure looming over her menacingly.

Kagero!

The guard came at him. Gripping the kusarikama sickle by its handle, he drew out its length of chain across the front of his body, then began spinning the weight at its end, building up speed fast. At the same time he fed more chain through his hand until the weight's turning circle was huge. It spun and moaned as he strode forward. He released the chain and the weight shot at Moonshadow's head, links snaking behind it. Moonshadow ducked, but the weight and its tail of chain never reached him.

Instead there was a sharp
clang
. He looked up to see the weight and chain winding itself around Groundspider's sword.

‘Let me handle this,' Groundspider winked. He pulled on his sword and snatched for the chain with his free hand. Groundspider rushed the guard, who bounded to one side and started hacking with the sickle. The big shinobi sprang back, then hedged and weaved, the curved blade just missing him.

‘Forget that!' Moonshadow smoothly drew a shuriken from his leggings. ‘How about teamwork?' He tucked his sword under his left arm, then quickly passed the iron star to his right hand. Moonshadow's arm flashed in a whip-cracking motion.

The guard dropped his sickle and let out a howl. Before he could tear the shuriken from the back of his hand, Groundspider had clubbed him with the blunt edge of his sword. As the guard collapsed, the pair turned their attention to Snowhawk and Kagero.

Kagero was dressed in a lavish red kimono. There was no sign of a fan. A long box on the only table in the room sat unopened. Slumped at Kagero's feet, Snowhawk appeared exhausted but physically unharmed. Though the smile she gave Moonshadow was weary, her eyes absolutely glowed at the sight of him.

‘They hypnotised me to bring me in without a fight. But I told them
nothing
,' Snowhawk said firmly, tears welling in her eyes. She looked up at Kagero, her face dark with anger. ‘And this
witch
was just about to start –'

‘I'm sorry I doubted you,' Groundspider said quickly. ‘Please forgive me.' He offered a low bow. ‘Moon never did, of course. But it's fine now; leave the witch to us!'

‘Oh hush, children,' Kagero chided them, shaking her head. ‘Have you
no
respect for your elders?' She stared at the two intruders, then let out a tired sigh. ‘Call me what you will, but try to remember: I am
more
than what I do for a living – as we all are! Our work, thoughts, even our history, these things certainly are important, but they are not
us
. The real
us
has as many layers as a tatami mat. Only in time do we discover them all.' She pointed at Moonshadow. ‘Just as only in time, will
you
learn who you
really
are.'

Groundspider tilted his big head and frowned. ‘What … what the hell was all that?'

‘Her stupid advice,' Snowhawk huffed. ‘Just another way she confuses you.'

Kagero held out her hands, palms towards them. ‘How unkind you are! Look, I have no weapons. I'm cornered and clearly outnumbered. Your rescue is so daring, it deserves my respect. So go, take her, she's rude and annoying anyway.
If you spare my life, I will do nothing. You have my word.' She blinked coquettishly. ‘What, don't trust me? Lock me in here then, if you like, I can hardly raise a full alarm then, can I?'

Snowhawk stood up slowly, testing her legs, then rushed into Moonshadow's arms. He hugged her fleetingly, swung her behind him, and went on ogling Kagero, his sword extended at the veteran kunoichi.

‘Let me deal with her once and for all,' Groundspider growled. ‘I may never get another chance.'

‘She's unarmed,' Moonshadow replied. The voice of Mantis rang in his thoughts, denouncing the slaying of a helpless enemy. He sighed. But was Kagero
ever
helpless?

‘You can't trust her!' Snowhawk erupted. ‘She's deceit itself!'

Kagero put one hand over her heart and smiled sweetly. ‘Must you be so harsh? Unforgiving? Be like the river, remember, child? Let things go, and just flow on –'

‘Shut up!' Snowhawk shrieked. She took a scabbard from one of the fallen guards and tied it on. ‘Either one of you kills her now, or I will!'

Moonshadow took a deep breath. Groundspider, the team leader, wanted Kagero slain too. But killing an unarmed foe who pleaded quarter? This was a
really
tough one!

Kagero broke into a grin. ‘One of you, I'm sure,
will
kill me.' Her hand flashed into her red kimono. ‘But not this day.' The kunoichi's fist darted back up to her lips and Moonshadow's eyes locked onto what she held: a carved wooden whistle. Kagero quickly put it in her mouth and blew hard. The whistle's high-pitched signal was incredibly loud. It echoed through the entire gallery and into the tunnels that fed off it.

‘Oh, great!' Groundspider cursed. ‘Everybody out,
now
!'

‘Including
me
?' Kagero tittered behind her hand, then blew the whistle again.

Together the trio scrambled back to the doorway, weapons brandished, wary eyes on their foe. The kunoichi watched them with raised eyebrows and a cool, superior stare.

Groundspider stepped out into the gallery first, checking in all directions. ‘Nobody yet! Is the wind tunnel the best way out?'

Snowhawk followed, saying, ‘Yes, I think there's still time.'

Hearing her words, Moonshadow took heart. With most Fuma on this level dead, wounded or running for their lives in circles down in that Oni pit, they
might
just get to the wind tunnel quietly!

Moonshadow backed out of the chamber last. He swung the door shut on Kagero, who lifted her hand in a mocking wave, and used the guard's key to lock it. But as the mechanism
clicked
, a conch
shell trumpet blew in the distance. Moonshadow punched the door hard.

Their cover
was
blown! Now, the whole Fuma clan would come hunting them.