The Dragon Kings Daughter (Book 2)

Chapter 10- The Nether World

After Nanami had rested for a bit we met outside and waited for the guide.
"NO! I don't get it! Why me." Lord Otohiko whined.
"It might be punishment for arriving late." I shrugged.
"He's just being cruel to me."
"The two days of the assembly mainly consist of drinking parties. The crucial part doesn't start until the third day so..." Mizuki tried to explain but was cut off.
"If we get back by then we should be fine." Nanami finished.

"Nothing is fine about this you stupid girl." Otohiko snapped. "I'm your guide there and that's all. Get it straight. Now let's go!" He grabbed Nanami by the jacket and me by the sleeve of my white shirt and took off.

"A word of warning. The nether is a world of death and rebirth. When a flesh and blood creature breaths the air there they immediately begin to decay also the shikigami and low level yokai turn to dust. Only us gods can come and go as we please."
"Decay?" Nanami started to freak out.
"Well, I guess you are a god to so you should be just dandy, but under no circumstances should you pass though the gate."

As we approached the gate way the strong smell of the nether filled the air. The bolder was now in view but we could just make out a few figures standing around it.
"Looks like we found the trouble makers." I pointed down at the seven our so yokai. Wait a minute.
"That's a lot of yokai." Nanami peered down at them while shielding the sun light from her eyes.
"That can't be right?"
"What is it?"
"It seems there is more then just yokai down there. Look." I pointed to the guy dressed in black with to more men dressed in traditional clothing and fox masks. "A human and two shikigamis."
"That's odd. Usually humans don't get involved with yokai if they are aware of there are existence." Otohiko pointed out.
"Ahh guys. It seems they've spotted us." Nanami stated. As she said that the two shikigamis disappeared. "Heck yeah! Time for Mamoru and I to show them who's boss!"

"About that." I uncovered Mamoru who had past out in my hands during the ride over. "Mamoru is a small shikigami. Unlike the other two that were just down there, he can't handle bing this close to miasma."
"But what about the job we were asked to do?" Nanami whined.
"Move aside sweetheart. I'm the wind god so this should be over in a breeze." He chuckled to himself as he summoned some wind.
"Please. No more puns." I muttered.
"You put that wind away." A gruff voice ordered from below. "Unless you want 'tis human to see what the nether like."
We all looked down to see what looked like the lead yokai with his arms around the human dress in black. It was only that I recognised who it was.
"Leave Kirihito out of this!" I ordered and jumped from the cloud.

"With the way things are going I guess I should jump into the nether world like you told me." The yokai stared to edge closer to the gate way.
"You can't! Your not as high ranked as you think. You will die!"
"Yeah right. You just want to save your human friend." And with that he jump in to the gate, only to decay when he hit the air.
"Wait! I'll save you!" Nanami yelled and jumped into the hole after him.
"Nanami you fool!" I sighed. "Lord Otohiko. Do me a favour and tell Lord Okuninushi what has happened and please don't let Mizuki follow after us." And with that I jump in after them.
It was a long way down and I hoped they both survived the fall.
I softly teleported to the ground and started to search for Nanami and Kirihito.

"NOW RUN!" Kirihitos voice echoed around me but I knew it came from the river shore.
I ran in the direction of his voice only to see a bunch of goblin looking creatures. They had greenish grey skin and where really skinny. Their messy hair ranging from greys to browns to maroon. The only item of clothing was a bit of ragged cloth wrapped around the waist. They were all running in the same direction. The river. In front of them I sported Nanami and Kirihito running into the water.

I swiftly teleported to the other river bank and started a fire.
"Honestly this would be much easier if Tomoe was here." I muttered to myself as I tried lighting it for the hundredth time.
"Well. Look who it is."
"Hi Kirihito."
"After I absorbed a bit of you soul I wasn't expecting to see you again."
"Because you thought I would die or because you thought I would stay out of your way."
"Not exactly. I just thought that the possibility I'll of use meeting again was not very high." He teased and laid Nanami next to the fire. "I saved your god for you." He then sat down across from me, on the other side of the fire.
"What happened? She drowned?"
"Yes actually. She need to learn how to swim."
"Then I'll get right onto that when we get home." I smirked at him and he smirked back.

"Kaiyō? What are you doing here." Nanami mumbled as she awoke.
"I jumped in after you. I figured you needed a yokai with you down here." I secretly looked at Kirihito and back to Nanami. "Better then human knowledge."
"And want exactly do you know about the nether?" The so called human spoke up.
"Nothing. That's what keeps things interesting." I smiled at Kirihito Olay to here Nanamis stomach growl. I sighed. As a human she would need to eat right about this time.

"Do we have any food?" Nanami weekly said.
"No. We don't." I blankly said. "I wasn't expecting to jump into the nether."
Nanamis eyes met Kirihitos.
"Wait don't tell me! Your, like, crazy hungry to, right?"
"I don't know. Am I"
"Don't worry. I brought white talismans. Know all I need to do is slap this guy on one of these wild mushrooms and where sweet!"
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked but I was ignored.
"You see? It will now taste like a sweet potato donut!" Kirihito took the 'mushroom' of Nanami.
"So if I eat this then I won't become a denison of the nether?" Nanami froze.
"No wait! Don't eat it!" She snatched the mushroom of him.
"Let's get going. We need to get out of here." He stated to walk off.

"Wait a minute! Your human so how whole you know the way to go?"
"To be completely honest, he knows more about the nether then I do."
"HOW!"
"He obviously has extensive knowledge of our world so I guess we let him lead us for now, however, all decisions will be made as a team. Agreed?"
"Agreed!"
We started to walk forward only to be stopped by Kirihito. In front of us stood to nicely dressed women.

"You are the human god, are you not?" One of the women say.
"Ahh yeah..."
"Our mistress is lady Izumami. She wishes to meet you."
"Please follow us, goddess and party." The other women said.
"Ahh okay." Nanami hesitantly agreed and followed the women.

Lady Izunami. I've heard of her. She is very powerful and will not allow undead things leave the nether. That includes Kirihito as he is using the body of a dead boy.
Let's just hope nothing goes wrong.