Sepulchral Secrets at Isonokami (Part 1)

Discovery, Exploration

It was damp and cold under a gibbous moon when Hashinara Yoshitakatomo, Ryūzaki Sanosuke, and Aotsuki Tsukamoto were brought by Shigeaki Fujino to the entrance of Isonokami Shrine. This small temple was nearly built into the hillside at the top of a forbidding climb many miles south of Wakigami. A stone arch led within, showing a dilapidated but relatively clear interior, lit by some unknown source. Indeed, it seemed as though someone had been here recently to tidy up. Unbeknownst to them, Matsumoto Ooawagaeri indeed had.

Fujino was the first to rush inside. Her enthusiasm at anything even remotely mysterious or occult was infectious, and the others followed soon after. They were met within by a strange tableau. A number of old temple bells, nine to be precise, were arranged around the spacious single room in a rough half-circle. Each instrument had one, two, or four kanji characters written on it, the white symbols stark against the dull black of the bell. None of the characters seemed to make any sort of sense in this context, however.   It was Sanosuke who first realized what they were looking at. These were not kanji, but hanzi, the Tianchaoren equivalent, and they were not meant to be read alone. Taken from the northwesternmost bell and wrapping around to the southwest, the characters all together formed a sentence in Tian: "百濟王奇生聖音故爲倭王旨造傳示後世." Once they understood the convention behind it, the others were able to use their knowledge of Japanese kanji to piece together at least a rough meaning. Taken as a whole, it meant something like: "The King of Empathy, who lives under august sounds, had this sword made for King of Peace in the hope that it might be passed on to later generations."   That was overall a good sign. The sword in the inscription could only refer to the Seven-Branched Sword, the object of their expedition. Unfortunately, it also pointed to some kind of ancient puzzle hiding the artifact away from would-be looters. This riddle no doubt involved the bells, but might also include the strange grooves in the floor, the enormous statue of a snake that dominated the end of the room, the statues of not-quite-Japanese soldiers manning each wall, or the altar before the "倭王" bell, somehow set apart from the others. Yoshitakatomo took a moment to listen to the whispers of a hitobashira and discerned through its moldering chants that the grooves in the floor were, indeed, part of some larger mechanical contraption. They appeared designed to move against one another, unlocking in a complex pattern that would reveal a hole in the ground; a path downward. Indeed, the quartet could all see something of a glimmer of light down there, below the grooves, and so they split up to different areas of the temple in an attempt to divine the mechanism behind it.   It was Aotsuki who almost immediately made the first important discovery. Casually examining one of the bells off to the northern side of the chamber, he was shocked to discover that a seven-branched sword hung inside of it like a clapper. The weapon was attached to a clasp that allowed for easy insertion and removal, but even Aotsuki's untrained eye could tell that it was not the artifact they sought. This weapon was made of pig iron, nothing but a crude facsimile of the real thing. It was, however, no doubt part of the greater puzzle. A quick check around the room confirmed that each bell possessed a copy of the sword as a clapper, alike save for minor deviations in size and shape. Each except for the "倭王" bell in the center of the room. That had nothing within.   Armed with this knowledge, Yoshitakatomo immediately attempted a solution. Calling upon her* preternatural speed, she* dashed about the room, hitting each bell in sequence from the northwest, down, around, and ending at the southwest. All of them responded with a pleasant chime except, again, for the center bell. Its sound was discordant, mismatched with the rest of the symphony. Moments passed, but nothing happened. That, it seemed, was not the solution. Once this stunt was done, however, Aotsuki helped himself to a clapper from the southwesternmost "世" bell.   He returned to the center of the room while Yoshitakatomo ventured north. A pair of towering statues were here, their worn countenances stern as though still standing guard after untold ages. It was hard to tell through the weathering, but their equipment didn't look quite Japanese to the observer. Finding a pile of rubble, Yoshitakatomo looked up to discover a small hole in the roof that must have caved in. The gibbous moon was visible through that window, and the Princess-Daimyō gazed at it quietly, already lost deep in thought.   Sanosuke, meanwhile, was checking out the eastern portions of the temple chamber. The enormous snake statue yielded no secrets, although something about it seemed slightly off to him. Moving on, he arrived at the narrow pit in the northeastern corner. Were he a man of lesser constitution, he no doubt would have reeled back at the smell that emanated from the fetid waters within. A pair of pipes fed cloudy water that smelled of waste and rot into this basin where it lingered for a moment before draining away to some unknown destination. If Sanosuke didn't know any better, he'd say he were looking at a primitive sewer system. But for whomst, or whatmst?   Aotsuki was working together with his sheele there in the center to discern what lay beyond those mysterious grooves in the floor. Kagami, renowned for her divine perception, was able to see just a little bit further into the blackness that lay beneath. She reported that it opened up into some kind of cavern, lit dimly from an unseen source. That was no doubt their destination, but even Sanosuke's prodigious strength, applied to gap formed by the grooves, could not produce any movement in the mechanism. He was no doubt powerful enough to simply break the contraption, but such strength applied heedlessly could well bring the entire structure down. Returning to the altar, Sanosuke had the idea to look into Kagami's mirror, which shows only truth, and examine the bell and snake statue behind him. Neither looked any different in the reflection, however. Save for a thickening of the putrid fumes above the sewer pit, nothing had changed.   Yoshitakatomo rejoined them then, and she* went with Sanosuke to look at the serpentine monolith one more time. It depicted a snake, no doubt, weathered as it was by the passing of eons. Something about it was strange, however, and the two working together managed to discern what it was. The snout at the end of the stone creature's winding form was too broad for any breed of snake either of them knew. Indeed, that feature seemed more draconic in nature. It was strange to see a dragon without the arms and legs common to the breed. Even the serpentine Wani boasted those features.   Back at the center of the room, Fujino finally asked Aotsuki about the seven-branched sword he was still holding absently in one hand. He passed it off to her before returning to the grooves, and Fujino did the first thing she could think of with it. Walking up to the empty bell in the center of the room, she inserted it like a clapper and gave the thing a good ring. A horrible, discordant sound broke through the entire compound, shattering the relative silence and assaulting each interloper's ears like a physical force. Yoshitakatomo, Aotsuki, and Sanosuke, each having long since put many human vulnerabilities behind, were only a bit shocked. Fujino, however, barely managed to keep her feet. When Sanosuke rushed over to catch her when she was about to fall, she couldn't hear a word he said. The monstrous sound had deafened her. Of course, this was not so much of an obstacle, as she could still use the mental network to communicate telepathically. In her rattled state, however, even this did not seem to occur to her.   Thankfully, Aotsuki was on hand. Invoking the powers of the sun goddess Amaterasu, the golden boy cured Fujino with a touch. Although she was in no immediate danger, they all agreed that it would probably be better if she waited outside until they figured out the rest of this puzzle. Fujino had clearly been on to something, however. Ringing the center bell with a clapper from one of the others seemed to be the solution; Aotsuki had just initially chosen the wrong one.   With their Master of Communications safely outside, Sanosuke gathered up the sword-clappers from each of the other bells, making careful note of which sword matched which set of characters. Returning to the center bell, all three explorers braced themselves as Sanosuke began to ring, starting with the other "王" sword. Rather than the calamitous shriek that had greeted Fujino's efforts, the bell produced a pleasing, mellow note when rung with this clapper. In response, stone moved smoothly against stone in a complex dance at the center of the room, revealing a large pit right where Aotsuki had been standing moments before.   Fujino was able to return then, as they all looked at the drop before them. She was excited at having been instrumental in the solution of the puzzle, and figuring it out afterward. Since the inscription had to do with one king giving another a sword, she observed, they had needed to metaphorically recreate that situation by transporting a sword from one "king" bell to the other. With that grueling task done, the four began their descent.   Yoshitakatomo and Sanosuke were able to simply walk down the wall, although neither divulged why they could do so. That left Aotsuki, Kagami, and an enraged Tama up at the top with Fujino. Their psychic friend soon obliged by teleporting them to the bottom, arriving at about the same time as the other two. Some few hundred feet beneath Isonokami Shrine, the party now found themselves in a cramped cavern, well-worn from years of erosion. Many of the walls had cracks in them large enough to allow vision to the other side. Others were much sturdier, masonry rather than natural rock, and these served as their guide.   Walking first to the southwest, the group didn't make it far before spotting something strange further in. Just around the corner, the tunnel opened dramatically into a large, circular chamber obviously wrought by human hands. A faded mosaic on the floor was still clear enough to show a tangle of serpentine dragons, branching out from a single symbol in the center. As if mirroring the design, three enormous snake-like creatures rested and writhed at various corners of the chamber. They would have seemed to be cyclopean serpents, save for the heavy metallic scales and spiny ridges across their backs. On each creature's head, a brass helmet with no features or openings tapered down to a pointed snout, quite unlike the statue they had seen above.   Aotsuki and Sanosuke moved in front of their charges, and not a moment too soon. The creatures had noticed them now and, while they were not as quick as the interlopers to act, the hostility in their movements was unmistakable. The Silver General moved preemptively, flashing into the chamber with a blow aimed at the closest creature's snout. His mighty blade, which had cleaved even archdemons, hardly made a dent as it glanced off the monster's helmet. The basilisk was making no efforts to parry his blows, but it also seemed unfazed by Sanosuke's lightning assault. Even without visible eyes, the monstrous mask tracked his movements with eerie precision. Seeing that the mask was not a prime target, Sanosuke changed his approach and hacked several times at his opponent's neck. The scales here proved just as hard, and while he managed to make a widening wound, the creature still appeared largely unharmed.   Aotsuki was next, leaping in to engage the leftmost basilisk. He didn't trust his own offensive abilities against the monster's steely scales, and so opted to remain on the defensive, forming a wall that the creature would have to cross in order to get to his allies. This proved wise, as the great serpent brought its tined tail down upon him with devastating force. Crashing past his shield, the wicked spines lining its back tore through Aotsuki's armor. Only an enchantment cast some time ago by Mary Lyn to harden his skin saved the Ivory Shield from grievous wound as those barbs raked at his flesh.   Kagami recognized this attack as beyond a creature's normal capabilities, suggesting to her master that it might be a ki technique. Indeed, the monster's next attack was not nearly as fierce. Winding smoothly about Aotsuki, it attempted to gather him up in its coils. This time the boy's shield was not defeated, and his defense was so secure as to reflect a portion of his attacker's force back to it. There was a groaning of bones and cracking of scales as the basilisk recoiled, but he could tell that it was far from vanquished. Kagami's spheres of light, too, proved similarly ineffective. Even when directed straight into the wound Sanosuke had opened, thus bypassing much of the creature's scaly armor, the holy projectiles simply fizzled out without apparent effect.   Yoshitakatomo then took her* opportunity to fire an incantation at the remaining Gye-lyong. Spun with the dark energies of death, this spell would normally rip the target's soul from their body, draining a portion of it back to empower the caster. Again, the basilisk made no attempt to avoid the spell, nor did it even register it with its sightless gaze. The magic struck its target, then shimmered along its steely scales before vanishing entirely. Somehow, these creatures' hides seemed to ground and harmlessly disperse certain spells.   Fujino was the only one left to act then. Secure in her innate invisibility, she cast a matrix out at the third basilisk's mind, encouraging it not to attack. This proved more effective than Yoshitakatomo's spell, and for a moment seemed like it would work. Then, the creature shook off its compulsion and moved toward its source. Without physical sight to weigh it down, the Gye-lyong seemed to have no trouble spotting Fujino's invisible form. Aotsuki and Sanosuke realized a moment too late as the monster slithered through the gap between them, staying just out of reach and, without hesitation, stabbed its razor-barbed tail directly through Fujino's heart.   An uncanny silence fell upon the room as the Hashinara's beloved psychic lynchpin fell to the ground, her body mangled and obviously dead. Yoshitakatomo stood just nearby, her* enchantments keeping her* hidden from the monster's view where Fujino's had failed. Before the Princess-Daimyō could so much as react, however, Aotsuki was there. Spurred into action by the grisly display, he had managed to disentangle himself from his Gye-lyong opponent, leaving it with another reflected attack as a souvenir. He covered the distance quickly and dodged through the murderous basilisk's coils to reach Fujino. With a touch and a prayer to Amaterasu, Aotsuki hauled his friend back from the abyss and restored her body to a living, if still grievously wounded and unconscious state. Kagami was able to handle this last, pouring the soft light from Yata no Kagami into Fujino until she was healed and awake once more.   Sanosuke broke combat with his own basilisk, turning aside its chasing attack with a roar of rage. As he rushed at the creature that had slain his friend, his path took him up a pillar and into the air, twisting as he landed directly on the monster's masked head. The Gye-lyong seemed agitated by this, and swayed this way and that to dislodge its unwanted passenger. Sanosuke's grip was steel, however, and he remained perched there as he inserted his blade between the plates of the helmet and put all his impossible strength into levering it open.   Something clicked inside the brass mask and it fell open easily, almost sending Sanosuke tumbling before he was able to compensate. The helmet slid into two parts and clattered to the ground, revealing a monstrous face quite unlike the draconic visage all had expected. Two beady, coal-black eyes rested above a bird-like beak tapering to a wicked point. Those eyes stared up at Sanosuke, into him, and he felt suddenly as though a blade of ice had been driven directly into his soul. Even this man who could shrug off the greatest of physical maladies was rendered completely paralyzed by the Korean Basiliks's cold stare.   Fujino's mental network had been disrupted with her death, but even from the ground both Yoshitakatomo and Aotsuki could tell something was wrong with Sanosuke. At their urging, Fujino teleported away, leaving them able to focus on the situation at hand. Armed with the knowledge that spiritual, necromantic spells had no effect on these beasts, the Princess-Daimyō opted for something less direct. First she* cast Magnetic Control, attempting to manipulate the serpents' metallic scales. The plates lining their bodies only looked metal, however, and the enchantment had no effect on them. Then, she* called upon the force of gravity itself, placing a crushing impact upon all three of the Gye-lyong in the chamber.   As mighty as they were, Yoshitakatomo's spellpower proved superior. Each of the three was pressed nearly to the ground by the invisible hand of myriad newtons upon them. This violent jerk was enough to send Sanosuke tumbling off his perch and thus broke eye contact between him and the basilisk. He found himself able to move again and managed to land on his feet not far from his target. The three creatures were still able to act in a limited way, struggling up even as gravity pushed them down, but it was obvious that their serpentine forms would be unable to carry them under such conditions. The two other Gye-lyong, still where Aotsuki and Sanosuke had left them, were still masked and proved unable to act at a distance. This meant that they could now focus on taking down these dangerous opponents one at a time.   As they prepared for this new phase of the battle, Kagami directed Aotsuki's attention to something on the floor nearby. A stone circle, nearly the same size as the symbol in the center of the chamber, had apparently fallen out from the basilisk's mask when Sanosuke opened it. The golden boy scooped it up, stashing this key item for later.