Jorogomo

Jorogumo

Rain kept falling. It was late in the afternoon. Light would soon be gone, but it would keep raining heavily for many days and nights to come. Hoshi stood there, unfazed by the rain as he watched locals chop down the strongest of the trees within the Aokigahara forest, a young boy standing there drenched and shivering beside him. This tree would serve more than one purpose and Hoshi would continue watching while the welfare of the small boy seemed not to trouble him. Weakness was not something Hoshi accepted, even at the boy’s age.

It was almost time. Even though it was troublesome to gain a footing to chop down the tree in the mud, enough swings of the axe had started causing the tree to groan. Unmistakable was the cracking as the trunk started splitting. Having run up the side of the trunk, men tied ropes and were preparing to pull the huge tree in a safe direction. Not going entirely to plan, the tree came crashing down less than three shaku from Hoshi who did not flinch even with the mud splattering onto his face. Hoshi continued standing fast as the rain cleaned the mud from off his face. The young boy, however, had taken off the moment it appeared to be heading in their direction. He only reappeared once the tree had completed its landing.

Strong was the tree which had been felled, weak was the flesh of the villagers. They looked up at Hoshi in hope that he would be satisfied. No words were spoken as he turned and walked towards the village. It took a moment for the men to do the same, unsure of the situation. They would be happy to get back to their home that night, as many had not recently.

Not everyone returned to their homes. Some would follow Hoshi to the Inn. There weren’t many in Japan that failed to know his name or the face that went with it. Sitting there, eating his meal as rigidly as his stance in the forest, his presence had the locals in awe. The Great Hoshi Uchi was in their poor village. This would be a tale to tell their grandchildren should he be successful. Though doubters were few in number, one dared ask, “Are you really going to kill it?”

Silence filled the room as everyone within earshot stopped to hear an answer. Hoshi stopped eating only to make eye contact with the one who spoke, his gaze as strong as his throwing arm. Across the room at a nearby table, a cup fell, accidently knocked to the floor.

“Kill it?” he said, shaking, even though not wet like the others. This was not a cold wind that made him shake, but fear. Fear of that which Hoshi had come to take care of.

“You don’t just kill it,” he continued now with the room all now listening to what was about to follow. “It’s a Jorogumo, you don’t just kill it. You need to pierce a hole in its black heart then burn it. Burn it till there’s only ash remaining. No, you didn’t come here to kill it.” Voices were raised, unhappy with the commentary.

“This is a demon,” the frightened man added as his head looked downwards in dismay. “Men don’t kill demons.”

“This is no man,” they yelled. “This is the Great Hoshi Uchi.”

Unwittingly, the frightened man was bringing the wrath from those in the inn. Only the bench sliding along the floor as Hoshi rose brought the silence back to the room. He walked over to the frightened man. Everyone froze, unsure as to what would happen to the person who had brought the champion’s good name into question. Placing his hand gently onto the man’s shoulder, the great samurai known as Hoshi Uchi spoke.

“Soon,” was all he needed to say for everyone to have hope. Hoshi intuitively knew why this man was frightened, turned to the crowd and said: “Do not harm this man, for you have all shared in his loss and suffered your own.”

Tomorrow may not be the day he spoke of when he said soon, but soon was coming, and rest was needed. Hoshi headed off in the direction of the shrine to meditate. Only the young boy followed. In his absence, the villagers would talk much about what was to come or what they hoped would come. At least while the rain kept falling the villagers would be safe. In fact, it would rain the whole week. Hoshi Uchi had given his instructions. He would spend the week in deep meditation.

Eventually, when the rain stopped, the villagers went to work on the tree they had cut. This was just the first part. Next it was to the smith. Hoshi oversaw the operation. Removing a pouch from his belt, he sprinkled a strange fine substance into the molten metal before it was cast into the newly constructed mould. Three new yari were to be crafted, along with a new bo for Hoshi and a miniature version for the small boy.

Yet, before the yari were completed, the Jorogumo had struck again. This time a boy of seventeen had been taken. Hoshi Uchi knew there was not much time to save the villager, but that he would do all he could when the weapons were ready. Turning to the small boy, Hoshi said, “Look after this bo staff and it will look after you.”

The small boy nodded, saying only: “Hai.”

“We leave shortly,” said Hoshi. “Stay close to me, but when the fight begins, steer clear of the demon. Under no circumstance engage it.

Once again, the boy replied: “Hai.”

As the first of the yari was being finished, Hoshi made sure that his armour was secure. As it was mostly leather, it would grant him the protection he needed, but also allow him the speed and agility he required to be swift in the moment. Taking hold of the yari, Hoshi put the spear through its paces, making sure it was weighted perfectly. The following two spears were also tested. There was just one small addition to the third. Instilling it with its own personality, the smith had a word engraved into the woodwork: destiny. Satisfied with the make, Hoshi bowed to the smith as a sign of thanks and congratulations. The smith felt a sense of honour at the respect given to him by the great warrior.

Leaving with his new bo, yari and his loyal katanas, Hoshi Uchi made his way down the path, heading out of the village towards the last sighting of the demon. His small companion followed, struggling to hold onto the two remaining yari and his new miniature bo. Villagers on the path pointed to where the boy had been taken, and Hoshi continued in the direction shown, stopping only to analyse broken tree branches, ensuring the trail stayed fresh. Word had spread through the village, but even the most curious would not dare enter the forest that Hoshi charged straight into.

Deep into the forest, Hoshi and the small boy continued slowly. Hoshi sensed danger. Stopping to survey his surroundings, Hoshi could hear the nearby stream flowing and noticed that the trail of disturbed leaves headed in that direction. He also noticed that the demon had covered its tracks well as the flooring of the forest had been used, but not in any conventional way. From this point the hunt would become slower, he would not rush into this like a fool.

Towards the edge of the stream, the forest trees made way for low-lying ferns and sunlight. Sunlight would be the key to his soon-to-be-fought battle. Yet, he noticed up ahead, a woman in her kimono, though he could only see her from the torso upwards.

“Stay here,” was the command given to the boy as he slowly approached. The woman at the edge of the stream looked back at Hoshi and smiled. She was beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful Japanese girl that Hoshi had seen. Cautiously, he approached.

“Good morning,” the beautiful woman said. “What brings you here?”

Not wanting to show his hand just yet, Hoshi replied, “I’m from the village. One of the boys has gone missing. Have you seen him?”

“Seen a boy?” she questioned. “Out here in the forest?” She laughed. It was an alluring laugh; feminine, yet evil. “What does he look like? This boy from your village?”

Hoshi did not know how to answer this question accurately, and gave a vague description that could have looked like most boys of that age as he continued his approach. It was at this moment that Hoshi realised that the bushes next to the woman were rustling when she turned. Kneeling down as though to tighten the string on his waraji, Hoshi placed the bo staff on the ground then rose with two hands on his yari. The woman noticed this new pose and immediately changed hers also.

“Oh, sport,” she said. “I do like it when there’s a little play time before I feed.”

“Where is the boy?” Hoshi demanded an answer.

“He’s around here somewhere,” was the reply. “A snack for later perhaps, but you, I’m going to enjoy feeding on you.”

Fearlessly getting closer, Hoshi wasn’t quite within striking range before the woman stood to her full height revealing, her true self as the Jorogumo. Her venom-tipped fangs were now much more evident. Her black carapace glinted beneath the sunlight.

“Spider Demon, this will be the last day you enjoy sunlight,” said Hoshi, “for when nightfall comes, it comes with your ruin.”

Jorogumo was quick, much quicker than Hoshi had anticipated as her long thin legs lashed out at him. Her laughter now eviller than before as she felt this would be an easy kill. She did not know with whom it was she was facing. Hoshi swiftly weaved left and right as the legs came down at him before using his yari to slice a leg off. Screams of agony echoed through the forest, the missing leg enraged the Jorogumo. Her attack became even more vicious and frenzied than before. A step here, a block with the handle of the yari, before a targeted swing sliced off another leg. More pain and more screams as the Jorogumo made for the protection of the forest, but not before Hoshi had a chance to throw his spear at the spider demon.

Screams of pain was all that was heard as Hoshi, with his hand on the handle of his katana, backed slowly towards where his bo staff lay, unsure as to whether his yari had hit the target well enough to cripple it further. Once there, he raised his hand and motioned for the boy to come to him. As the boy walked towards him, Hoshi focused on the forest lining for any detectable movement. There was none. Attaching his face mask and taking control of his second yari, Hoshi now moved slowly towards the forest.

This time, tracking the demon was easy as it had trampled through the foliage, leaving a clear path to follow. Dark blood stains on the leaves were a more promising sign and Hoshi knew for sure that it was a matter of time, provided he was careful. Walking through the forest, Hoshi remained vigilant and soon tracked the demon to its lair. Large webs invited Hoshi into the darkness beyond. A torch would have been favourable. Then again, on second thought, there was still a boy to rescue.

Laying the second yari in the grass in front of the entrance to this spider’s lair, Hoshi Uchi removed his katanas and posed in a fighting stance. Being careful not to get tangled in the thick web, Hoshi sliced away at it as best he could. He hadn’t gone far into the darkness when the little hairs on his neck started standing up. Hoshi stopped to listen. There was a strange noise. He couldn’t describe it. A weird rustling, but there were no leaves. The flooring was one with the earth. Still, that strangest noise. It indicated movement. The demon was closer than he anticipated. Quickly he turned around to see the demon towering over him. Almost stumbling backwards into the web, Hoshi swung his katanas at the spider, showing the demon exactly why his swordsmanship was known throughout Japan. While it may have appeared as rampant slashing, each strike was purposeful as he forced the demon back out into the open where it had nowhere to hide and everywhere to flee, should its escape be an effective one. Unfortunately for Hoshi, the demon was standing its ground, protecting its home. Now, with no apparent alternative, the Jorogumo had grabbed Hoshi’s yari that had been laying on the ground. Now his fight would be against the demon holding what he needed to defeat it.

Taunting Hoshi Uchi, the demon displayed its new toy as it tried to attack Hoshi. Holding it with two hands, it tried stabbing Hoshi. Hoshi found it far too easy to dodge the strikes, but didn’t have a desire for this demon’s desperate dance to be drawn out any longer than it needed to. Hoshi ran towards the spider, sliding on the ground to bypass the strike. As he did so, he was able to slice off another leg, before quickly getting to his feet. The demon roared this time. Seeing that the weapon was no good against the human attacking it, the Jorogumo broke the weapon in half, throwing the two separate pieces in opposite directions, preventing it from being used further. Still, it had few options left and running away was becoming more of an issue as it hobbled backwards into its hole.

“Hoshi!” yelled the boy as he threw the spear towards him. Hoshi heard the call, glanced at the spear’s flightpath then manoeuvred himself to catch the last yari. Now, with Destiny in his hands, Hoshi, with straight and sure aim, propelled Destiny at the demon, hitting it right in the middle of its back. This would not be enough to kill the creature, but now with the spear wedged into its body and unable to reach it or pull it out, Jorogumo was unable to fight back effectively. It would also be too weak to escape.

“Go,” Hoshi instructed the boy, who knew he needed to return to the village.

Leaving all the remaining equipment behind, the boy ran as fast as he could. It would take some time, but he would return with men from the village and remaining pieces of lumber crafted from the fallen tree. Meanwhile, Hoshi Uchi retrieved the rope from one of the bags. Throwing the rope around some of the remaining legs of the Jorogumo, he tied a strong knot, then started dragging the creature back out into the daylight. After this was done, he immobilised the demon with the remaining rope. Defeated and unsure of its fate, the spider was silent.

Later, the boy returned with the villagers. Once all the wood had been brought, they started getting to work on constructing a strange apparatus. Sure in the knowledge that the demon posed no threat, Hoshi Uchi, followed by some of the other villagers, entered the spider’s hole in search of the missing boy. Even with no Jorogumo to harm them, Hoshi warned the villagers to not be careless with the web. He carved his way through the entanglement as the villagers made attempts to control a burn of the webs once cut. Deep into the hole they ventured. Now, the torches were needed as a source of light as well as protection from anything else lurking in the darkness.

Fortunately, nothing else attempted to harm them. If there had been anything living, the spider would have taken care of them. The boy was found suspended, wrapped up tightly in the web, a cocoon-like look about it. Hoshi Uchi cut the boy down carefully. The villagers were sorrowful. Hoshi determined that the boy was not yet dead, but not far from it, and he needed to get the boy outside. Awkwardly, the villagers picked up the boy and slowly carried him outside. Hoshi continued ahead to check on the construction.

On the surface, the villagers had almost completed their work. A large wooden cage had been constructed. No one dared to touch the injured spider demon, and they waited for Hoshi Uchi. Hoshi commanded the men to drag the demon into the wooden cage, saying: “She can harm you no more.”

This would take place as Hoshi attended to the boy who had now been carried out to safety. His skin was blue, almost purple, there wasn’t much time. Hoshi opened up the boy’s mouth, which looked clear. Placing his ear to the boy’s mouth, he could detect breathing, but it was very faint. Something was blocking the airway. Staying where he was, Hoshi pointed to another one of the bags. The young boy knew what was needed.

Strange as it seemed to the curious onlookers, the boy pulled out chopsticks and handed them to Hoshi.

“Hold his mouth open,” he said to his little apprentice and the boy did so.

Then, using the chopsticks, Hoshi started probing down the throat of the boy. Hoshi was sure there was something, but not just something stuck in there, something moving. It took him a moment, but then he caught it. Pulling it out seemed to be more difficult than he expected, but there it was: a baby spider, a baby Jorogumo. He needed to dispose of this creature quickly. Motioning for one of the villagers still holding a torch, Hoshi Uchi called for him to come. There and then, he placed the baby spider demon into the fire, causing it to shrivel and burn to nothing as its mother watched on from her cage.

Hoshi Uchi returned to the boy and retrieved another five juvenile Jorogumo and burned them all to death. The boy’s colour slowly started returning to normal. All that was left was to remove the web from within the boy’s throat. The viscous substance slowly oozed out like string as Hoshi finally got ahold of it. Once removed, the boy started convulsing. Hoshi rolled the boy onto his side and a small army of spiders piled out of his mouth as he coughed, regaining his life back. Ensuring that no future demons bothered this village, Hoshi grabbed the torch and made a ring of fire; there was nowhere for the spider demons to run as they tried to escape. Only when he was sure that there were no more, did Hoshi yell for the villagers to put the fire out by smacking it with cloth.

Hoshi left the teenager on the ground to deal with the cause of this curse. The boy was confused, but the villagers were happy to see the boy they knew return to them. Some wondered if Hoshi Uchi was more than just a man. Who was this champion they saw in front of him? Was he a God, this demon hunter?

It was now time to end this poor village’s curse. Hoshi Uchi picked up the Destiny yari, walked over to the wooden cage, and with one clean strike, thrust the spear into the black heart of the Jorogumo. Any life still in the demon departed. Its limbs fell limp. Hoshi held onto the yari with both hands. Gripping it tightly, he jostled the spear around. The spear’s special sharp head was designed for slicing. Hoshi continued cutting through the black carcass, only removing the yari once the spider had been successfully cut in half. As the villagers started pouring large portions of sake onto the cage, Hoshi Uchi spoke: “Go back to where you came from, Demon.”

Taking the torch from the villager, Hoshi Uchi set the wooden cage alight. There were no screams of pain, no cries for mercy. The demon was already dead, its evil soul on its way to the hell it escaped from, to be dealt with by its master. Everyone present stayed and watched as the demon’s carcass burned. It took a while for the fire to really take hold. When it did, the villagers had to cover their noses for a disgustingly foul stench filled the air as the smoke spiralled into the sky.

There they would stay. Stay and watch until everything was burnt and only ash remained. No charred remains would be acceptable. Everything needed to be burned to dust so that only the wind would interfere with the remains as it blew in a southerly direction. The grassed area was now blackened with death. Hoshi, meanwhile, had snapped a thin branch of a tree from the edge of the clearing. Probing through the large clumps of ash, the creature was no more. This would take place, all the while, a confused teenage boy watched on, fortunate to have not met his doom that day.