Warrior(The Dragon King Chronicles)(37)

A new voice joined the queen's, causing Taejo to shout. "That's my father!"

He started to float down the tune.

"Taejo! Remember the poem: this is not reality, this is a demon-made illusion. Will you once again put your selfishness above the importance of our mission?" Kira pointed to the scar over her eye.

Taejo recoiled as if slapped in the face. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

She felt bad. It was cruel to remind him of how his stubborn insistence had led to the scar that Kira would always have. But there was no choice.

As she urged Taejo down the other passageway, she heard her mother's voice.

"Little tiger, where are you going? Come to me, my child. I have missed you so much!"

Taejo glanced up at her, but Kira shook her head fiercely. "It's not real!"

"It's not real, it's not real." Taejo repeated the words with a grim determination as they entered the silent passageway on the right.

Once past the ghostly voices, they were shocked to find the kumiho standing before them in her human form.

"Not only did you choose wisely, but you passed your first test," Nara said. "I would not have been able to help you if you couldn't reach this point."

"But how can you be here?" Kira asked. "Are you real or are you a shade?"

"I'm not a shade. I can cross over into this world in my physical body. I'm here to help you."

Kira was still confused.

"But why?"

Nara smiled. "You and I shared a connection. Through that connection, I learned what it was like to be human. I've longed for that again. To feel the human emotions that you shared with me, compassion, hope, love. I found myself wanting to help you. So here I am, in this terrible place."

It was difficult to process. Part of her was happy to see Nara again. She had liked her. And Kira knew that they needed all the help they could get in order to survive. But she also wondered if she was being stupid to trust her, a fox demon, someone who had killed hundreds of men over the centuries. She didn't even know if Nara was real or just a figment of her imagination. What if she was part of the trap set for her and Taejo?                       
       
           



       

"To be honest, I'm at a loss," Kira admitted. "I want to trust you, but I don't know if I should."

Nara inclined her head. "Fair enough," she said. "But remember your own answer. What is real and what is false. Here in this world, you must be able to answer this question."

The kumiho then nudged at Kira's mind and sent her a memory of Jaewon's fervent confession of his feelings to her. Kira was embarrassed. She remembered that it was one of the memories that Nara had been so interested in during their memory exchange.

"Remember, I am real," she said.

A strong impulse surged through her and Kira decided to listen to her heart and trust the kumiho again. "We would very much appreciate your help."

"Good, then follow me," Nara said as she morphed into her nine-tailed fox form. "In this world, I can speak in both of my forms, as the rules of the living don't apply here."

Kira thought it odd to hear Nara in her fox form speaking directly to her.

"The demons are so stupid," Nara continued. "They set up two traps for you, in pride and greed. They tend to lump all humans together as greedy or arrogant. You missed them by picking curiosity. Now they will have to regroup and try to trap you in the tunnels. The one you just passed is an echo. It is not a specific trap for you-it is there to torture any who pass through the tunnels. Echoes are always of the voices you've loved and lost, drawing you into a pitfall from which you would never be able to escape. It is wise to be wary of them. But more important, we must stay ahead of the demons at all times. That is why I'm here, to help you navigate the tunnels."

"Where are we going?" Taejo asked.

"To find the cavern of overwhelming sorrow and seek guidance and protection from someone there," she answered.

"Who are we looking for?" Kira asked.

Nara looked around for a moment and morphed into her human form as she faced them. She pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to their surroundings. Turning into her fox form, she proceeded down the tunnel.

They entered an elaborate maze made of embroidered walls, with vivid scenes stitched in bright silk threads. As Kira gazed at a wall, the scene began to move. Demons gorged on humans, while foul creatures were released from the depths of the earth to destroy the world.

Nara growled at her, breaking the spell Kira had fallen under.

"This is what will happen if the Demon Lord is not stopped," Nara said, before proceeding down the maze. Kira tried to put an arm around Taejo, who stood horrified by her side, but her insubstantial arm just passed through him.

"We will stop him," she said. Taejo didn't look convinced.

They followed the kumiho who moved expertly through the many twists and turns of the labyrinth.

"Where are we?" Kira asked the kumiho.

"This is a maze that traverses all the caverns of the underworld," the kumiho said. "An entrance for each of the caverns is hidden here."

The pictures got darker and more violent the farther along they ventured, until their path twisted into a downward spiral. Nara had them stop well before the decline. Screams and moans bellowed from its depths.

"That is the cavern of damnation. If you enter that domain, you will never escape," she said. She led them toward another section of the maze, with shimmering walls covered in jewels. At the end of a long corridor, there was a gilded door that seemed to shine with a golden light.

"That is the cavern of greed. There is a trap set for you both there," Nara said. She approached the door cautiously and pressed an ear to it. After a long moment, she returned to their side. "They're still there, which is good for us. It means they don't know where we are yet."

She continued to lead them through the maze, past several more doors, then stopped before a pitch-black door.

"Listen closely. You will need the guidance of long-dead kings. I will open this door, but it is up to you to call to them and ask for their support. Only with their help will you find what you seek. But hurry-time is passing quickly. And whatever you do, don't enter that door!"

"What do you mean? Call to who? And how?"

"Think of one taken too soon. At the hands of a curse. Call him by name."

The kumiho's ears pricked as she heard the sounds of a terrible commotion. Turning human, she unlatched the door and swung it open.

"They know you're here and have missed their traps," she said. "Hurry now! You haven't much time. I will try to distract them."

With a flash of her nine tails, Nara disappeared.

Kira turned to Taejo. "She means King Eojin."

Taejo's mouth drooped in dismay.

"What's the matter?" Kira asked.

"I'm afraid," he said. "I'm afraid of what I'll see."

"Don't be," she said. But he continued to quiver with fear.

"It has to be you," she said. "The bond between you both is strong. That's why you're here! He will come to you. I'm sure of it!"

Before he could do anything, they heard a barking from behind them.

Taejo started. "Jindo!"

He spun around in excitement before catching himself. "No, it's not real. He's not here."

Facing the door again, he closed his eyes and ignored the continued barking. "No, Jindo, you aren't here. The demons are trying to confuse me. But I know I'll see you soon."

The barking became frenzied. Taejo took a deep breath and shouted, "King Eojin! Uncle! If you are here, please help me. It is Taejo."

There fell a complete silence as they stood before the empty doorway. Then a blast of wind assaulted them, whirling their shadowy forms about as if they were leaves in a cyclone. Kira found herself pressed against the wall farthest from the door, Taejo next to her. She felt as if a chill had entered her body, causing her to tremble. The smell of demon magic assailed her senses. In the darkness of the open doorway, a black presence materialized.

"Who dares to disturb me?" A deep voice spoke from within the swirl of black that was forming into the shape of a man. "Who speaks my name and recalls my suffering?"

In a riot of movement, the blackness raced out of the doorway and pulsed before them. They recognized the voice of King Eojin, but the form before them was grayish-black from the poison of the cursed blade. This was why he stank of demon magic, Kira realized. What had killed him was now a part of him.

Taejo and Kira bowed in deep respect before rising to face the dead king.

"Uncle, it is I, Taejo, come to ask you for your help."

"Taejo? Yes, the little prince of Hansong-what brings you here to this wretched place? I see your cousin is with you as usual." The shade king nodded at Kira, who bowed deeply. "You should not be here. This is a very dangerous place for you."

Eojin's face came clear and Kira could not contain her shock. His once handsome face was distorted with pain, sorrow, and anger. His skin was a mottled inky black, and his eyes were a pale gray, around large, dilated pupils. The contrast was appalling to see.

"My king! What happened to you? Why do you look so . . ." Taejo trailed off as Eojin's ravaged face flickered in and out.