Detective Yuki

9. Iriomote

1. Iriomote

On the footbound trail of the Kijimuna dwarves that kidnapped his friend, Aibo journeyed across the central highlands of Okinawa. He eventually sees several dwarves travel down a large dry hole into the ground near Kadena, covered over by shrubs and bush to conceal its location. Carefully stalking up to the hole like a predator to unknowing prey, the boy soldier pushed aside the shrubs to reveal the cold and dark hole in the ground, with the chitter chatter of the dwarves emanating from further down in the cave and the faint sight of fire light to be seen. He entered the cave with caution, not knowing what surprises were in store for him.

As he ventured further down into the cave, he could see the numerous lit alcoves and tunnel networks that snaked under the earth but was enticed by the sound of voices coming from the large central theater. Making sure his every step could not be heard, Aibo said spoke to none as he observed Yuki being held as a hostage by a group of dwarves and a giant snake that was talking to a very terrified Yuki. He looked around him in the dimly lit setting, seeing nothing but dirt and small twigs, then checked his pockets for anything he could use to save Yuki. After some rapid shuffling, he plucked out a loaded flare gun he had kept from the plane, to his own relief but alerting the attention of a solitary advancing dwarf among the crowd. 

"so, human, what should I do with you. I could let you leave with your life, but where is all the fun in that?" the snake said sinisterly, gazing at Yuki with his fiery red eyes.

Meanwhile, the dwarf was about to peer around to the alcove where Aibo was hiding, but the human sprang out instead, to the complete surprise of the Snake King and the Kijimuna. 

"ah, another. And what brings you here, new human?" the snake addressed the new comer surrounded by agitated dwarves.

 "Aibo!!!" Yuki screamed with happiness and satisfaction that her assistant had come to save her.

 Aibo took the flare gun in his hand and aimed it at the top of the roof of the open area, watched by all present. He took the shot, sending out a green burst that hit the roof and whirled around like a firework, spooking the dwarves and causing them to flee out of the cave entrance. The flare finally exploded with a great bang, cracking the roof as Yuki freed herself ahead of the Snake King.

The snake raced at Aibo, fangs wide open and raring to pounce, but the earthen roof above him caved in and buried him in a tall pile of dirt and grit. The sun now reached into the remains of the open underground hall, with Yuki and Aibo reaching each other by clambering up the pile and meeting each other at the top. 

"Aibo. I knew you would come" Yuki embraced Aibo thankfully.

 "so, where do we go from here?" Aibo asked intuitively as he clawed his way out of the giant sinkhole.

 "now, we head south, to Naha!!" Yuki led the way on their renewed quest, heading south along the coral rimmed coast then along the Kokuba river until they reached the bustling seaside central city of Naha, the capital of the sun kissed island.

"first, we need to head to the police station. They probably will have the information we need to find the Ashman" Yuki proposed in the busy city streets amid low rise buildings that could mistake the city for a very large village.

 Meanwhile, to the north of the city at a secluded country estate, Senbi was conversing with a group of finely attired gentlemen in uniforms near a seaside viewpoint, with his servant Namida in attendance. 

"gentlemen, you have been called here today from very reliable sources because you possess a particular skill and mindset that I require" Senbi casually initiated while looking at the azure sea.

 "why do you need us, sir?" one of the men, wearing a red cloak and boots asked. 

"because I have a relative sum of money and am willing to pay you handsomely for your services in exchange for personal stewardship, for I fear I am being followed by unwelcome guests" Senbi answered.

"money is not an object to us. We all have a sense of honor that cannot be bought but is earned by the way of the Samurai". Another of the men, sporting a blue suit, responded.

 "quite. Will you give me the honor of being your new master until such time as you are deemed resolute?" the mask turned around to face the gentlemen, who bowed in respect to their new boss. 

After two hours of convening inside the dense bungalow city, despite receiving no information on the whereabouts of the elusive Ashman and dealing with a tall slender bald man known as the chief of the Naha police department, Yuki and Aibo were enlisted by the small police force as amateur investigators from the mainland to assist in an investigation into the recent string of disappearances of local automobile engines as well as many local fishing boats, providing a small side case that side-tracks from the real goal of apprehending the Ashman.

The disappearance of these two items from the city and local beaches did not come as a slight coincidence to Yuki, who, while sipping tea at a parlor near the police station, found it very odd that both of these objects could be lost at the same time in a vast quantity so as to provoke a police investigation.

 "the Ashman is probably far away by now. It is out of our hands now. We can solve this investigation, then probably make out way back home" Aibo suggested in a way that made Yuki agree almost unanimously, preferring to have even the slightest success on this forced vacation after being dragged across the ocean to a far off island with a new acquaintance and witnessing untold phenomena along the way.