Princess Mononoke

~Ashitaka and the Demons curse~

It was a warm summers day in the Emishi village. The day started tranquil; the forest was at peace. Until everything took a turn for the worst. The ground began to shake, something was lurking in the forest. Ashitaka was riding his red elk Yakul into the forest when he came across his sister Kaya and her friends.
"Girls! Something strange is going on. You have to hurry at once, the wise woman has called everyone back to the village"
"We just came from Ji-San" Kaya panted, out of breath.
"Did he see anything"?
Kaya and the girls all started talking at once " Yes in the forest." "Something is wrong." "The birds have all gone!"" And the animals too!"
Askitaka nodded "Okay, I'll go to the tower and check with Ji-San. You girls head back home. And be quick about it"!
"Okay be careful"! Kaya responded.

The girls ran off and Ashitaka rode in the other direction to the tower, multiple tree trunks tied together with strong ropes and a small space at the top for the watcher. Ashitaka climbed up the trunks but half way he stopped and looked out into the forest beyond the stone wall that seperated it from the village. He gasped, for just beyond the wall something was running and casting a large dark shadow.
"Something's out there.."

He reached the watchers point and crouched down next to Ji-San. They looked out together and Ashitaka quickly asked
"Ji-San..did you see it too"?
He responded in a low deep voice " I did... It isn't human"
Ashitaka didn't know what to make of it. "The wise woman has called everybody back to the village".
He looked over at his home in fear when Ji-San snapped him back to reality as he exclaimed
"There! Look!"
Ashitaka turned and readied his bow as the rumbling got more intense. Suddenly a large crashing sound burst through the air. An enormous creature crashed right through the wall. It's flesh was covered in a grotesque mass of serpents that seemed to be eating through the surface of its body.
"It's some kind of Demon!" Ji-San exclaimed
"A demon?!"
It stopped in front of them and the serpents shot up in the air revealing the creature underneath them. A boar. Down the serpents came covering the boar once again until  it's natural form was no longer identifiable. It charged forward destroying everything in its path.
"Run Yakul! Run!" Ashitaka called down to his frightened elk.
He shot an arrow downward and the sound scared the elk into running away. The beast then seized the tower and began to destroy it, sending Ashitaka and Ji-San flying into the tree tops. The beast turned toward the village below and began to charge towards the unsuspecting Emishi people.
"It's headed to the village! I've got to stop it"! Ashitaka cried jumping down from the tree.
Ji-San called after him " Wait! Be careful, that thing is cursed don't let it touch you!"

Ashitaka stood on a rock and readied his bow again while whistling for Yakul.
The elk galloped towards his master and Ashitaka hopped on it's back. They then rode off towards the monster. When they were positioned in front of the beast Ashitaka beckoned

"Calm your fury O lord! Whatever you be, God or Demon please leave us in peace!"

But the monster wasn't listening. The village began to notice the oncoming commotion and started to panic. Not far from the Prince and the demon, Kaya and her friends were headed back to warn the village until the beast noticed them and charged.

"The monster!"
"Come on"! Kaya demanded and they picked up their pace.
Ashitaka yelled out again to the demon " No! Please leave us alone! Please!"
But the girls couldn't keep their footing on the steep land and began to stumble. Kaya was the only one who stayed on her feet.
"Get up!" She cried before turning towards the monster and weilding her sword. "Kaya!"

Ashitaka knew her blade was no match for this monster. He turned, aimed his bow, and sent an arrow sailing through the air. It plunged itself deep into the demon's left eye. The monster stood standing frozen in its track and  Yakul ventured closer. Suddenly it's jaw dropped emitting a powerful pain-filled screech before the serpents flew from it in all directions. They flew forward and wrapped around Ashitaka's right arm.  He winced and jerked his arm, releasing another arrow again in the monsters eye. But the beast was no longer moving. It just stood, serpents oozing from its wound. Suddenly it's knees buckled and it fell to the ground.

Villagers were in shock
"He killed it!"
"Ashitaka!" Kaya cried running toward her brother.
A guard called out "Quickly! Someone fetch the wise woman! And don't put those fires our yet!"
Kaya ran to her brother. "Ashitaka! Are you okay?"
"Kaya don't touch the wound...it's evil" he winced.
"The prince has been hurt! Where is the wise woman?"
The wise woman, small and elderly, came through the crowd being carried by a soldier "Nobody touch him! All of you stay back!" She ordered.
"What shall we do?" Kaya sniffled.
"Take this and pour it on his wound child. Slowly"

Kaya took a hollowed gourd from the wise woman and poured its contents over her brothers aching arm. The wise woman was placed on her knees before the boar and she bowed before it.

"Oh nameless God of rage and hate. I bow before you. A mound will be raised and proper funeral rights performed here where you have fallen", she bowed again, "please pass on in peace and bare us no hatred"

"Disgusting little creatures. Soon you all will feel my hate. And suffered as I have suffered"
Blood poured from the boar's mouth as it spoke these hateful words. The serpents ate through his flesh until a rotted skeleton and the rancid smell of death was all that remained.
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening the wise woman and her councilmen met with Ashitaka. They watched carefully as the wise woman moved around small colorful stones. The Fate Telling stones.
"This is very bad. The stones tell me the boar came from a land to the west. He had some kind of a poison inside him driving him mad. A poison that consumed his heart and turned him into the demon monster. Prince Ashitaka"?
He sat up nervously "Yes"?
"Show everyone your right arm"
He nodded and removed his bandages to reveal a dark purple mark that wrapped around his arm just as the serpents had.
A council man gasped "What does it mean"?
The wise woman looked at the prince "Are you ready to learn of the fate the stones have foretold you"?
"Yes" , he responded bravely, "I was ready the moment I let the first arrow fly".
"The infection will spread throughout your whole body flesh and bone alike. It will cause you great pain... then kill you"
The council men began to speak on top each other in utter distress for their Prince.
"Is there nothing we can do!?"
"The prince got that wound saving the village and our lives!"
"Do we just sit here... and watch him die?"
The wise woman looked to the prince who said nothing.
"You can not alter your fate but, you can rise to meet it."
She pulled a small iron ball from her sleeve
"Look at this: This iron ball was found in the boar's body. This is what hurt him, it shattered his bones and burned deep inside of him. This is what turned him into a demon. There is evil work in the land to the west Prince Ashitaka, it is your fate to go there and see everything you can with eyes unclouded by hatred. You may find a way to lift the curse. Do you understand?"
"Yes" He whispered.
The oldest of the councilman spoke in a pained and weak tone,
"We are the last of the Emishi. It has been some 500 years since the Emperor destroyed our tribe and drove us into the land of the east. Some of us have lived here and prospered. But the blood of our tribe has grown weaker and thinner with each new generation. Now we must watch our last Prince cut his hair and leave us never to return? Sometimes, I think the Gods are laughing at us"

The Prince took out his knife and cut his hair placing it onto the table next to him.
"My prince, our laws forbid us from watching you leave. Whatever happens to you now is your fate. But you are dead to us forever."
The Prince stood and began to walk out the door before the wise woman quietly called back to him
"Farewell".
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ashitaka was binding a small parcel with his belongings to Yakul's back and hopped upon his back ready to ride away before small voice called him from behind.
"Ashitaka!"
"Kaya? What are you doing. You know this is forbidden"
She shook her head and spoke fast "Do you think I care? I wanted to give you this so you won't forget your little sister"
She reached her hands upwards, a small blue and pink dagger centered on a red rope was laying flat in her hands.
He sighed and shook his head. "Kaya, your crystal dagger. I can't take this"
"Please take it to protect you. I want you to have it" she said as tears began to flow freely from her eyes. "I want you to have it so you won't...forget"
He took it from her trembling hands and smiled
"Kaya you know I could never forget you"

And with that the Prince and Yakul rode away into the night, never to be seen by the Emishi village again.