Dororo: A Novel
Tsuji Masaki
Part Seven
The Tale of the Hidden Treasure
on the Cruel Cape
Chapter 2
"Does it hurt?” Hyakkimaru asked quietly.
"Yeah. It's a wound. Wounds hurt,'' Tahoumaru answered.
The two were sheltering at a temple of Jizo, on the outskirts of a town to the east of Banmon.1 Hyakkimaru was able to sense demons--and defeat them--because he could smell them. Slaying the fox demon had given him his real, living nose back. He cast aside the artificial nose that was only for keeping him breathing and inhaled the scent of life.
As gratifying as it was to have a real sense of smell, Hyakkimaru
considered the presence of his younger brother to be more
significant.
Tahoumaru listened to Hyakkimaru's life story and thought it over. Up
until now, Tahoumaru had never heard anything negative about his father's
methods for conquest. He had nothing but respect for his father; he'd
thought that he was in the process of following in his footsteps. He'd had
no way of knowing that forty-eight demons had paved his father's way to
power.
My brother became a sacrifice for my father's ambition...
The thought troubled Tahoumaru, of course, but not as much as his current predicament. Even though he was washed away from Banmon while unconscious, he crossed the border and entered Asakura Clan territory. When he returned to his family estate, the punishment for this transgression of the law would be his own death.
Hyakkimaru had his own worries. He was concerned about Dororo, of course, and confused about what had happened to him. Fortunately, none of Tahoumaru's men seemed to realize that Dororo had vanished.
Hyakkimaru spent his days roaming Asakura Clan territory, searching for Dororo. At night, he and Tahoumaru took shelter in the temple of Jizo. There was a store of food and medicine there that they could sometimes add to. Tahoumaru had been wounded in the fight against the fox demon, and those wounds were not yet healed.
Most people would be grateful to have someone to take care of them while recovering from an injury. Tahoumaru was grateful, but he didn't really show it. It was something in his nature.
"Is it time to take some medicine, Tahoumaru?" Hyakkimaru asked.
"Don't worry about me; I'm fine. You should focus on finding that little kid."
"You mean Dororo?"
Tahoumaru noticed the change in Hyakkimaru's tone of voice. "What? Don't tell me you've found him already?"
"Of course not."
"That's what I thought. When Banmon collapsed, I saw something. Bandits, I think--a couple dozen. They dragged a kid away from the wall. I can't be sure, but I think they were heading for the sea."
"The sea?"
"Some of my men followed them a ways. One of them said that the leader shouted something about heading toward the Cruel Cape."
"The Cruel Cape? Where is that?"
"You're an idiot if you don't know."
"Hey!"
Tahoumaru had never acknowledged Hyakkimaru as his older brother, and he didn't treat him that way, either. Maybe he was scared to.
"Don't call me an idiot," Hyakkimaru said.
Tahoumaru sighed. "If you don't know where it is, you can just ask me. I know where everything is around here."
"Then tell me where it is."
"Go back to the border, then head north. If we leave now, we'll be there in the morning."
"Thank you!" Hyakkimaru got up and turned away.
Tahoumaru dragged him back down. "Hey, you, are you leaving your only brother in enemy territory?"
"Hmm..." Hyakkimaru wasn't sure what he should do. If Tahoumaru were hale and well, he'd be able to cut his way through any number of Asakura Clan enemies and arrive home safely. But his right arm was hurt, so he couldn't fight as well as he normally did.
Tahoumaru watched Hyakkimaru's internal struggle for a long moment, then laughed.
"Hyakkimaru, look at this." He drew his sword from his hip faster than the eye could see--and he was using his right hand!
Hyakkimaru's mouth dropped open as he observed Tahoumaru lifting the sword easily, as if there was no injury.
"Oh, you... Is your arm better?"
"It is. I don't care if you leave me here. You need to get to the Cruel Cape as fast as you can."
Hyakkimaru ran into town. It was full night; the streets were bathed
in moonlight.
Tahoumaru watched him go with a bitter smile. The sword he held in his
hand dipped and wavered; he set it down with a painful grimace, then
sheathed it. "Not much I can do with a broken bone," he said. His frown
deepened. "There are supposed to be dozens of bandits swarming the Cruel
Cape. Can Hyakkimaru really win against them all?"
1 Jizo (Japanese: 地蔵) Jizo is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism. He is often regarded as the bodhisattva of hell-beings, as well as the guardian of children and patron deity of deceased children and aborted fetuses. He is usually depicted as a monk with a halo around his shaved head. He carries a staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling jewel to light up the darkness.↩
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