67 Yamata-no-Orochi 3

Shamoji nudged Alex and shook his head at the question asked, knowing full well Alex may shred his core if he tried to rip a weapon out, while Orochi smirked at his reaction.

Orochi may have his hidden reasons for advising Alex on the path less travelled, especially by newcomers.

As for the Tengu, Shamoji suspected Orochi of keeping more information than he should, given his proximity to them and Kanagayo's shrine. Local Tengu had their quirks, that much Shamoji knew, given that the Mishakuji also dealt with ones in their own area.

Still, Orochi was an elder in the ranks to Shamoji. Contradicting or accusing a senior openly ran against etiquette.

The Mishakuji never liked to renege on any agreement, no matter how big or small, like the one made to secure soul weapons. What's the use of a soul weapon if Alex rips himself to shreds?

Shamoji, as part of the Mishakuji group, bore the responsibility as others would, for the safety of the two.

"He thinks I can do it," Alex said.

"I didn't say that, I only said if I were you…," Orochi corrected him. "But I am not you."

Shamoji pursed his lips for fewer words said was more, while looking at the exchange between Alex and Orochi.

"Then why suggest it?" Alex asked, innocent of Orochi's relationship with his neighbors.

The realization dawned on Shamoji as he recalled the stories of the elder Mishakuji group who spoke of a long-standing feud between Orochi and Kanagayo since the start of human iron extraction.

Something about polluting the Hii river and the tributaries from the human iron furnaces upstream, tainting the water with rust like blood color. Orochi, like the Mishakuji then, tended to the rivers and waterways as a source of connected energy flow to increase their prowess. Any pollution would weaken their connection to the land itself, and their powers.

"Well, well, well," a soft feminine voice, so sweet that sent Orochi shuddering, echoed from the entrance, causing Orochi to stiffen his back up as his eyes widened at her voice.

Shamoji, Alex, and Yata turned around to look at the shadowy figure of the new arrival leaning on the entrance, a distance from them. That was definitely not Kanghui's voice.

Orochi immediately pointed his finger to the dark narrow passageway within the cavern where his chains came from and gestured wildly for them to follow him quickly, as though in panic.

Yata nudged Alex, who nudged Shamoji, who shrugged nonchalantly as they followed Orochi, hastening their paces to keep up with him.

"Hurry," Orochi's hushed voice mingled with the sounds of the water dripping on the wet surface.

"Is that Kanagayo?" Yata asked Shamoji, who shook his head.

"That's trouble if Orochi is fleeing," Shamoji replied, keeping his voice as low as possible while the dripping sounds echoed through the narrowing snaking passage ways growing slippery as they continued their ascent deep within the mountain until their party came across the split between two passageways.

"Kanagayo doesn't enter this mountain," Shamoji added.

One pitch black passage way bore the long chains attached to Orochi originate from. Alex made out a faint light in the other passageway with a blast of fresh cool air from that direction, hitting him in the face where Orochi headed for.

To Alex, Orochi's imprisonment seemed more like a free range prison within the mountains restricted by a very long dog leash, unlike human cells where inmates lived locked up within a small cubicle.

"Hurry," Orochi's voice called out from the top.

Alex, bewildered by his reaction at a female's voice, spotted the long chain on the ground and still leashed visibly to the choker on Orochi's neck.

"If you flee, she can still trace you by this chain," Alex pointed at the chain as Yata scratched his head.

"Just need to get away from that persistent bitch," Orochi grumbled. "Who cares if she follows? The chain can untangle itself later."

"Eh?"

Shamoji's cheeks bloated up before his mouth finally roared into a loud guffaw at the awkward predicament.

"Still a ladies' man," Shamoji teased an irate looking Orochi, who furrowed his eyebrows.

"Fuck no. Not that bitch. She's one reason why I am chained up like that."

"Kushiinada?"

"Yeah, when Susanoo doesn't pay her attention, she comes to me. Fuck that shit."

Alex didn't know whether to cry or laugh. The legend of Yamata-no-Orochi mentioned Kushiinada's name as the sacrificial maiden, yet now it seemed like a lurid affair between the beings.

The dirty scandal of three parties entangled in a love mess.

"I thought you all are not like humans, emotional and all," Alex said.

"We still seek companionship. A long existence is boring," Shamoji chuckled with a big smile on his face. "That's why there are so many Mishakuji. Orochi is alone by himself… so sometimes he seeks his own companions."

"Don't trust a soft spoken bitch who always plays damsel in distress," Orochi grumbled while they glided out through the trees which towered above them by at least ten meters within the untouched old growth forest under the orange fading light of the sun.

"Just like the human women, eh?" Shamoji asked.

Yata's jaw dropped as his mouth opened agape in shock at this scandalous revelation.

"Not my fault if they find me attractive."

"How does he even find human admirers if his prison is in the buttfuck middle, out of nowhere?" Alex exclaimed.

"Crazy ones, some watched too much anime, or gamed in a setting where our dear Orochi here is the character," Shamoji replied as Orochi shuddered. "Besides, the entire mountain is his prison cell, including the small village nearby."

"Full of ageing women now," Orochi retorted. "Not in their prime anymore."

"Oh too old and wrinkly for the old god looking-for-love-in-the-dreams act," Shamoji teased.

Orochi halted, turned around and stood straight up, towering over Shamoji by two heads. He lowered his head and peered at Shamoji's eyes as Shamoji tried to shy away.

"Uh, huh! Tried it before, huh? That's the pot calling the kettle black," Orochi snapped back as Shamoji shifted uncomfortably. "Why look so shy? We used to be fertility gods."

Yata elbowed the ribs of Alex, who almost choked at the 'fertility gods' comment aside and snickered. "This drama is awesome - things I wished I knew earlier."

Alex nudged him back in the ribs and nodded in enthusiasm.

Who knew the snake beings of these high and mighty ranks would deign to flirt with humans? This is better than any romantic or comedy movies Alex had watched when he was human.

"Do you think we can do the same?"

"If they can, why not us?" Yata replied.

The faint rustling of the trees and a few cawing sounds of miserable crows in the winter distracted Alex from the conversation. He could sense more than a few unseen eyes watching their every move, making him uneasy.

Orochi appeared unfazed, so it must not be the being in the cave when they last fled.

Without warning, Orochi leaped upwards, like a flash, and called out, "Come up."

Shamoji lifted his hand to stop Alex and Yata from following. "Wait first. Kodama."

That's the tree beings, like the one who played go with Orochi.

Several pairs of eyes appeared on the trees, looking at all of them. Like the first tree-like sprite, they all appeared one by one, in different shapes and sizes, curious about the intruders but not bothered by the presence of Orochi. Chuckles along with the rustling leaves rang out like they had heard the entire conversation earlier.

Shamoji opened his hand to reveal ten soul stones and offered the shiny stones to them. Faster than a blink of an eye, the soul stones disappeared.

"Etiquette," Shamoji said. "They may be weaker than us, but in numbers, they are stronger."

Yata leaned into Alex and whispered, "probably knows the Tengu too."

Shamoji turned around at his words and lifted his finger to his mouth. Less said was much better.

All kodama were the same and the soul stones bought their silence, or at the very least, distracted them for the moment before the blabber mouth kodama went to the Tengu.

"And if any of you dare to tell, I will rip your tree roots out!" Orochi declared in a menacing tone from the tree top as the kodama stop their chuckling as the breeze died down and silence fell.

"Alex, try leaping up there," Shamoji pointed to the top of the towering tree near the branch where Orochi stood.

"I've never leapt that far before." Alex took a deep breath and bent his knees into position.

A strong push from the ground, he flew upwards with one leap, crashing into a branch overhead before falling down.

"Great, he can't leap too," Orochi said in a monotone, adding another point to an imaginary growing list of Alex's failures.

"Four meters isn't that bad since he is new," Shamoji said while giving Yata the go ahead.

Alex winced in humiliation while staring at the trees. Four out of ten meters sounded more like a fail.

From Yata's palm, a thin yellowish silk spewed forth until it swung around the top branch. With one swing, he took off, like Marvel's Spiderman, until Yata smacked his face straight on the tree trunk.

Spiderman went splat, Alex thought as he stifled a laugh.

"Damn spider, you should be better at climbing trees!" Orochi muttered loud enough for them to hear as Yata's face fell.

"It's hard in human form. They only have four limbs and no hooks."

"Excuses. You could transform."

Shamoji ignored Yata and Orochi while offering his hand to Alex. "I will give you a boost."

Alex looked at his hand hesitantly. How would the so called boost work? He didn't want to be launched like a rocket to nowhere.