They hunted for two hours and returned with a boar, rabbits, and a brace of grouse by lunchtime. The women descended on the hunters, ordering them to skin and clean the game as they prepared to cook. Not long afterward, the village was awash in the aroma of delicious roasting meats and spicy stews from open pits in the village green.
As the sun set, all the villagers came to the large square. They walked by the chief's residence and offered a bow of respect to the closed door before taking their place by the fire. Kira sat staring at the door herself, wondering what Lady Kim was doing and how the chief could be so sure Jaewon would be safe.
"Don't worry, young mistress, there will be no complications tonight."
Kira blinked in surprise and turned to face a dimpled woman with kind eyes who handed her a bowl of stew.
Kira took the bowl with a nod of thanks. "But how do you know she will not come out?" she asked.
"Shaman Won has given her some herbal medicine that will keep her sedated until morning. Our young master will not have to worry," the woman said with a bow of her head before retreating.
Kira found it fascinating how everyone congregated around the huge central campfire that warmed them in the frigid night. It would be warmer to take the food and eat inside, but no one was willing to miss the reunion of the chief and his son, and the stories they were bound to share. Spicy boar and cabbage stew were served in wooden bowls, while rice mixed with beans and meat was served with an assortment of vegetables
She walked over to where Taejo, Brother Woojin, and her brother were sitting nearby the chief and Jaewon. Kira felt a strange bashfulness when her eyes met Jaewon's. His eyes were warm and his smile sweet before his attention was pulled back to his father. Kira sat next to her brother with a happy sigh, avoiding Kwan's suspicious gaze.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Kwan asked. He leaned forward to gaze at Jaewon who was absorbed in conversation with his father. "You look peculiar."
"What are you talking about?" Kira asked, her heats flushing under his sharp eyes.
"See, like that! I've never seen you do that. You look all soft and unlike yourself." He was examining her as if she were an exotic insect that had crawled onto his leg.
Kira put her hand on his face and shoved him hard.
"Leave me alone, you're making me lose my appetite." Jumping up, she walked over to the other side where Seung's family was spread out. They welcomed her with shy greetings and handed her a wooden bowl of spicy boar and cabbage stew over rice. Kira fell in love with the spicy stew. She'd never eaten anything like it before. It was garlicky and peppery and stimulated her taste buds. The boar meat was so soft it melted in her mouth, while the vegetables added texture and flavor. She wolfed down two large bowls before she was content.
Everyone sat close together, wrapped up in furs and blankets, their laughter coming out in great clouds of cold air. After a while, the chief stood up, waved his hands for attention, and asked Seung to share their adventures with the village. Seung stood happily and recounted all that had happened with great gusto. He was a born storyteller, describing Kira's meeting with the Heavenly Maidens as if he'd been there himself. He told of the queen's heroic sacrifice to the weeping of the villagers, and crowed over Eojin's triumphant march into Hansong to loud cheers. But when he reached the part of Eojin's murder and their subsequent flight from Hansong, the villagers stilled, listening in rapt attention.
"Where must you go now?" someone asked.
Seung turned to Brother Woojin, who took over the narrative. "We must head to Mount Baekdu and find the hidden entrance to the shadow world."
"Sunim, that is impossible. No human can ever pass through that entrance," the shaman said. "How do you plan to get to their world?"
Brother Woojin looked like he was at a loss.
"I was not aware of this," he replied. "What can we do?"
The shaman sighed. "I have a feeling you will not like the answer, but I will commune with the spirits and ask them what can be done." He ordered his two young apprentices to gather up his supplies and return quickly.
A few minutes later, the boys returned with a heavy leather bag, a large gourd, and a long staff laden with bells at its tip. The shaman stood and approached the fire.
He retrieved a small pouch from his inner pocket and began to chant as he sprinkled the contents into the fire. Continuing to chant, he shook the staff at the fire. An apprentice brought him the gourd. The shaman unstopped the gourd and shook the white liquid into the fire. Kira recognized it as earth's milk, a magical substance that all shaman used. Only shaman knew the secret ingredients that it contained. While Kira had no idea what made it magical, she did know that it would take a shaman a month to brew the earth's milk to full potency.
The fire raged high, letting off an intense heat before dying down again. The shaman continued to chant, raising his arms high in the air as he shook his bells hard above him.
Shadowy figures danced within the fire, and then a shadow darted from the fire and entered the shaman's body. Kira jumped to her feet, her hand reaching for her sword. The shaman's eyes rolled back into his head and his entire body began to jerk and shake before finally collapsing. Kira approached carefully but sensed no demon presence.
The shaman levitated from the ground, his feet dangled above their heads. His eyes were bright and feverish and his smile seemed tinged with insanity.
"Demon Slayer! I see the Demon Slayer before me!"
Kira stopped in alarm. The voice coming from the shaman's body was different, higher and manic in sound.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"She's asking who I am-who am I?" He giggled, clapping his hands together in glee. "Should I tell her? Should I?"
Kira had no idea who he was talking to. Had another spirit inhabited the shaman's body?
"Master Won, are you still there?" she asked.
"He can't talk to you! He's busy," the spirit said. "You can only talk to me. What do you want? What do you want from me?"
Before she could answer the spirit tilted his head, as if listening to another person. "What? She wants to go to the shadow world?" He burst into insane laughter. "Yes, let's tell her! And then we can keep her. Yes, we will keep her and she can never leave!"
He cavorted around in a macabre dance, his body flying through the air.
"Come to the shadow world, Demon Slayer, but leave your physical body behind," he said. "The portal is through the fire. You must enter the fire. We can't wait to meet you there."
There was another burst of raucous laughter before Shaman Won's body began to twitch again and the black shadow flew back into the fire. The shaman collapsed to the ground as his two apprentices raced over to attend to him, Kira kept staring at the flames. What was that creature? And could its words be trusted?
Several minutes later, Shaman Won stood up onto shaky feet.
"What did I say?"
Kira quickly explained all that the spirit had revealed. The shaman looked unhappy.
"It is as I feared: the only way into the shadow world is to become a shade yourself," he said.
Her brother reacted in shocked anger. "What are you talking about? That's impossible!"
"No, it's not impossible. There is a way but it is very dangerous and has never been done before," he said.
"No! Absolutely not!" Kwan shouted. "What kind of danger are you sending my sister and cousin into? I thought they were entering a cavern inside the mountain. What is this shadow world?"
"That which you seek lies in the deepest cavern within Baekdu. No living thing can enter it, for it is the entrance to the land of the shadows and is guarded by the haetae," the shaman said.
Kira's hand flew up to the pouch she always wore around her neck. Her fingers traced the outline of the little haetae figurine her father had given her. The thought of seeing the mythical fire-eating dog in real life thrilled her. The haetae had been her father's favorite creature because it was the guardian of justice and protector from disasters. Her hand tightened over the pouch. She missed her father terribly.
"The only way to enter the cavern is by passing as a shade yourself," Shaman Won continued.
"You mean we have to be dead?" Taejo asked.
"Death is one way. Another way is to leave your body and let your spirit enter the cavern and pass by the spirit guards."
"Is that even possible?" Kira asked.
"Of course it's possible. But it is very dangerous," the shaman answered. "If you are not careful, you can be imprisoned there forever."
"What do you mean? How?"
"The ritual is done at the darkest point of the night. Your incorporeal form must return to its physical body before the first rays of the sun touch it. Otherwise, your body will die and you will remain a shade for all eternity."
The shaman shook his head. "There are so many dangers in this. Are you sure you must enter the land of shadows?"