Samurai Lost in the Time Rift 2.5

2.5

The group held their breath as they watched three more eggs have hatched with the young ones feeding on the hanging corpses. The believers think they are seeing the jikininki ( human-eating ghosts ) but these came from eggs. There was also the twin headed serpent there as it moved around the eggs as if looking for something that was not there. Bento looked to the farmer who was with him then, but Fudo ignored the glare from the samurai. Suddenly the serpent shrieked out as if calling for the young ones and the three young ones moved towards it. They are so different; the serpent was an elongated creature while these young ones are like man with the limbs.

There was one young one who limped along as its left lower limb was twisted during its incubation. It was the last to approached the serpent and without hesitation, the left head of the serpent came down and snapped into the young creature before moving it towards the orifice at the bottom of its neck with the body. The tiny legs there in hurried forms pushed the young dead creature into it and let it be devoured by the serpent. The other two young creatures shrieked out in pain, and ran back towards the hatched eggs but the serpent leaned its heads down and rubbed at their sides. It was like how a mother would had comforted a sad child.

In comforting the young ones, the serpent did not see the approaching group of men with their weapons. It was a coordinated strike now as the farmer threw the sake on the necks while the samurai thrust with their yari or shoot with the arrows at the heads. The slaves meanwhile have set the spilled sake on fire before they themselves joined in the fight with the farmers. The serpent coiled back and was to retreat when it heard the breaking of the eggs by the samurai. It slither back into the nesting and fought out with the men.

"Gunso, the neck." Taisa shouted as he ducked from the lunging head of the serpent left head. He saw Edo had slashed the serpent right head with the naginata, while the farmers thrust the neck with their pitchforks.

"Hai!" Gunso jumped up and thrust the yari before pushing it downwards to open the wound. Then he twisted the yari and cut it sideways towards the middle of the neck adjoining the body.

"Drink you own blood, dark one." Gunso cursed at the serpent as he pulled out the yari on seeing the serpent had dropped its head on the side. Meanwhile Taisa Mori had turned his attack on the other neck; slashing at it with the katana. He was assisted by the other Hohei as they also removed the life from this head.

"Hai! We are getting good at killing these foul creature." Gunso shouted out as the farmers and slaves broke the other eggs and killed the unborn young ones. The two young ones was already killed by Edo and Iza. They soon cut down the corpses and lined them on the flooring.

"They looked like us, but its also hard to tell with all the decays." One of the Hohei remarked, but Taisa Mori told them to used the balance of the sake on them and burned them so that their remaining body would not be desecrated. He then looked up the vines and saw it went up high onto the ceiling. The vines seemed to be spaced out evenly in a number of small circles.

"A vine or a root; tells us of trees or growth above. It could had broken through the surface to reached here." Edo looked up. He then looked to a farmer whom he called to come forth.

"Kitui, climb up like a monkey which you are well known for. " Edo point to the ceiling. Tell me where it comes from."

Kitui stripped to his fundoshi, then jumped onto the vine. He made him way up like a monkey on the tree. The slaves had one other to joined him on another vine as the other also climbed up. Taisa then looked to Bento and asked him.

"The light you said you saw; show me." Bento looked at the Taisa and bowed.

"I did not see any but Fudo-san said he saw." Bento point to the farmer, who stepped up towards the Taisa. He bowed and replied.

"There was..." But his statement was stopped by the shout above.

"There is an entrance!" It was Kitui. Then the slave also shouted back on his discovery. More of the others now clamber to climb up but Taisa stopped them.

"Hold it, you fools!" Taisa Mori shouted out. "We would organized ourselves with each one having a turn."

The men all stopped and looked at the Taisa.

"Who among you are good climbers like them?" Three farmers and two slaves came forth. Then climbed and lowered down more vines if you can find it. The others would tied the supplies to the vines to be lifted before we climb. Those who can't climb would be pulled up."

Taisa Mori knew that some of the Hohei are not used to climbing on this type of 'ropes'. They had practiced before but none was as good as these farmer and slaves. The men sorted out themselves and the climbing began.

"I would stay back with you Taisa." Gunso remarked to his Taisa but the later told him get up there and managed the men.

"I do not know where that entrance leads to; another cavern or outside land. You are to let me know. Send out a patrol immediately when you have the numbers."

Gunso Mita bowed and walked to the vines. He pulled at it and tested the tensile strength. He then used his hands to climbed up but soon find himself being pulled up.

"Gunso, we would assist you." The words never sounded sweeter to him than that of his wife cooing him to come to bed.