no novice." Growing tired of talking to someone he couldn't see, he stretched out his fingers and twirled in a circle, casting about him with magical energy.
"Hey! Watch it!" the voice cried. "Ouch! That stings!"
Tadaka heard a soft thump and turned in time to see a small, red-skinned creature fall to the ground. It was less than half his height, the size of a small child. The creature was built like a child, too—an ill-fed one with a round belly and emaciated limbs. Its head was too large for its body, and its golden eyes were loo large for its head. It had a wide mouth filled with mismatched teeth. Small batlike wings jutted from its back.
"Mujina," Tadaka said, sighing.
"My name is Ob, if you must know," said the mujina. It got up off the ground and dusted itself off.
"Begone, creature," Tadaka said, a hint of disdain in his voice. "I have no time for your games."
"Ah, but you had time for me to save your life," Ob said. He lluttered his small wings and rose into the air. "Where I come from, that means you owe me a debt."
Tadaka frowned. "While your warning was appreciated, it hardly saved my life. The mire is no more than an annoyance to me.
"So you say," Ob replied. "From where I'm hovering, I'd say it was lucky you weren't killed before you ran into me."
Tadaka decided that his best strategy was to ignore this creature. Now that he wasn't concentrating quite so hard on finding Junzo, he saw the quagmire easily enough. He discerned a path across the obstacle and started walking.
"It seems to me," Ob said, fluttering behind the Master of Earth, "that you need a guide. I know the quickest ways back to human lands. You're going in the wrong direction, you know."
"I'm not going to human lands," Tadaka said, walking away from the creature. "I have business in this foul place."
"The only business most people get into here is dying," Ob said. He sped up and flew in front of Tadaka. There, he continued to float backward as the Master of Earth walked. "Only the Kuni know their way around here. If you'll pardon my saying, you're no Kuni."
Despite himself, Tadaka smiled. "I need no companions," he said gravely. "The mission I'm on is very dangerous." Tadaka pulled his hat down to screen his face from the mujina. He kept walking.
"More dangerous if you don't watch where you're going," Ob said. "No wonder you almost stepped into a hidden mire. Tell you what, I'll tag along with you for a while."
"Please, don't bother."
"It's no bother," Ob said. "You owe me a debt, and keeping me company is how you can pay it off. A guy gets lonely in a place like this, you know." He flitted forward and lifted Tadaka's hat.
Tadaka swatted at him with one hand. "I owe you nothing," he said.
"Well," said the mujina, "either you owe me a debt, or I'm responsible for you. Those are the two things that can happen when you save someone's life. Either way, I'm going to travel with you. You might as well get used to it."
Annoyed, Tadaka picked up a stone. He rested it in his palm and brought his hand up to his mouth. He whispered something. The stone shot off his palm and streaked toward the mujina's body. The rock hit the creature in its wide belly, but passed harmlessly through.
"Now that was rude!" Ob humphed. He scowled, crossed his arms over his chest, and vanished.
Tadaka looked around, but he saw no sign of the creature. He adjusted his hat and kept walking. The smells of decay grew stronger as he went. He wasn't sure, now, how long he had been walking. Had night turned into day once more? There was no way to tell in this cursed place. The landscape surrounding him had become a uniform gray—all fog and swirling mist.
The Shadowlands whispered around him, a disquieting sound that reminded Tadaka of a million crawling insects. The call of some fell beast echoed through the mist. Oozing, bubbling noises came as a hidden mire claimed a victim.
"Miss me yet?" asked a voice.
"No," Tadaka said flatly.
Ob darted in front of the
"Hey! Watch it!" the voice cried. "Ouch! That stings!"
Tadaka heard a soft thump and turned in time to see a small, red-skinned creature fall to the ground. It was less than half his height, the size of a small child. The creature was built like a child, too—an ill-fed one with a round belly and emaciated limbs. Its head was too large for its body, and its golden eyes were loo large for its head. It had a wide mouth filled with mismatched teeth. Small batlike wings jutted from its back.
"Mujina," Tadaka said, sighing.
"My name is Ob, if you must know," said the mujina. It got up off the ground and dusted itself off.
"Begone, creature," Tadaka said, a hint of disdain in his voice. "I have no time for your games."
"Ah, but you had time for me to save your life," Ob said. He lluttered his small wings and rose into the air. "Where I come from, that means you owe me a debt."
Tadaka frowned. "While your warning was appreciated, it hardly saved my life. The mire is no more than an annoyance to me.
"So you say," Ob replied. "From where I'm hovering, I'd say it was lucky you weren't killed before you ran into me."
Tadaka decided that his best strategy was to ignore this creature. Now that he wasn't concentrating quite so hard on finding Junzo, he saw the quagmire easily enough. He discerned a path across the obstacle and started walking.
"It seems to me," Ob said, fluttering behind the Master of Earth, "that you need a guide. I know the quickest ways back to human lands. You're going in the wrong direction, you know."
"I'm not going to human lands," Tadaka said, walking away from the creature. "I have business in this foul place."
"The only business most people get into here is dying," Ob said. He sped up and flew in front of Tadaka. There, he continued to float backward as the Master of Earth walked. "Only the Kuni know their way around here. If you'll pardon my saying, you're no Kuni."
Despite himself, Tadaka smiled. "I need no companions," he said gravely. "The mission I'm on is very dangerous." Tadaka pulled his hat down to screen his face from the mujina. He kept walking.
"More dangerous if you don't watch where you're going," Ob said. "No wonder you almost stepped into a hidden mire. Tell you what, I'll tag along with you for a while."
"Please, don't bother."
"It's no bother," Ob said. "You owe me a debt, and keeping me company is how you can pay it off. A guy gets lonely in a place like this, you know." He flitted forward and lifted Tadaka's hat.
Tadaka swatted at him with one hand. "I owe you nothing," he said.
"Well," said the mujina, "either you owe me a debt, or I'm responsible for you. Those are the two things that can happen when you save someone's life. Either way, I'm going to travel with you. You might as well get used to it."
Annoyed, Tadaka picked up a stone. He rested it in his palm and brought his hand up to his mouth. He whispered something. The stone shot off his palm and streaked toward the mujina's body. The rock hit the creature in its wide belly, but passed harmlessly through.
"Now that was rude!" Ob humphed. He scowled, crossed his arms over his chest, and vanished.
Tadaka looked around, but he saw no sign of the creature. He adjusted his hat and kept walking. The smells of decay grew stronger as he went. He wasn't sure, now, how long he had been walking. Had night turned into day once more? There was no way to tell in this cursed place. The landscape surrounding him had become a uniform gray—all fog and swirling mist.
The Shadowlands whispered around him, a disquieting sound that reminded Tadaka of a million crawling insects. The call of some fell beast echoed through the mist. Oozing, bubbling noises came as a hidden mire claimed a victim.
"Miss me yet?" asked a voice.
"No," Tadaka said flatly.
Ob darted in front of the
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