Yuki returned to life gasping for air upon the beach of Shinohara. At first, she could do nothing but cough up the remaining water in her lungs, but soon, she began to breathe normally and could begin to contemplate what she had just gone through. Above her stood the familiar faces of Tanuki and Aya, with Taka perched on her shoulder. They wore grave concern, but as she came back, their fears were eased and replaced with looks of relief.

  “I thought for sure that you were not going to wake up,” Tanuki said weakly. He sat back and allowed himself to breathe for a moment.

  “That was a close call,” Aya commented. “As close as they come.”

  “What happened?” Yuki managed to say. “What was that thing? Once it grabbed me, I thought I was done for.”

  “That was a yomi. An Umibōzu to be precise,” explained Aya. “They are also known as ‘Sea Priests,’ though their office is only death and destruction. Your companion, Tankui-san, managed to wrest you from its grip. Taka helped guide you into shore.”

  Yuki gazed over at Tanuki, who seemed nearly as exhausted as she was. He looked back at her tenderly and bowed his head. Then she looked towards Taka, and he also nodded affirmingly.

  She then laid back and closed her eyes. “What a bizarre world it is under the waters. All those ships. All those dead warriors…”

  “I am sure it was a grim sight,” Aya said. “It was likely those yomi that wreaked such havoc on the invading barbarians.”

  “Yomi…” Yuki repeated.

  “Taka-san reported seeing several of these monsters, dispersed around the beachhead. Some have gone off, while others remain. This region will not be safe for sea vessels for some time.”

  “What were such monsters doing here?” Tanuki asked with great intrigue. “And what enmity do they have against the barbarians?”

  A wry smile passed Aya’s lips. “This is no doubt Ishihara’s doing. Umibōzu are rare yomi and do not congregate. They must have been collected and then summoned here for some evil purpose. I suspect that as Regent, Ishihara would not last long if barbarians conquered her realm. She must have put forth her might and wrought this destruction. These warriors never stood a chance.”

  “It also explains why they cleaned the battlefield so thoroughly,” said Tanuki. “Tale of her victory here would not sound so sweet if people knew the truth of what happened here.”

  “Indeed,” Aya said sternly. “But alas, what is done is done. We now have the chest and with it, perhaps we can change the future.”

  Up until that point, Yukiana had completely forgotten about the chest, the very thing she had risked her life for. She made to sit up, searching for the sealed box. Fortunately, she did not have to look very far, for it sat a few paces away, half covered in sand.

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  “The chest!” she cried.

  By that time the storm had abated, and the coming of dawn filled the sky with a comforting orange hue. She got up and stumbled over to the chest, as the others gathered around her. The chest itself was locked, but with one deftly placed strike from Aya’s staff, the lock was broken, and she was free to see what was inside.

  Hands trembling, Yukiana took the top of the chest and pried it open. It took some effort, as already the brine of the sea had made the hinges stick, but in the end, she was able to do it. Inside, there was a smaller wooden box, floating upon the remaining water within. It was expertly carved and covered in lacquer. It was of a familiar style, being something that was certainly made on the Islands, not abroad.

  She gently removed the lacquered box and then opened it. Inside was a rolled-up piece of paper that had been damaged by the water that had infiltrated the box. She could not make out the characters, for they had been washed away and faded beyond recognition. However, behind the paper were placed two signet rings, held firmly by iron brackets, so that she had to pull them out with some effort. One bore the image of the dragon, the other bore the image of the tiger.

  “Now this is a difficult riddle,” Yuki remarked. “What could it possibly mean? And how will it stop the impending war?”

  Aya knelt beside her. “I might venture a guess. These are the signet rings of both the Ryū and Tora clans. They would belong to the former daimyō. This tells me that they had agreed to submit to the Khahan, the barbarian ruler, in exchange for revenge on Mashige.”

  Stillness followed, as all considered this. The waves in the background created the only sound, as they crashed and retreated methodically.

  “That is a serious charge,” Yukiana said at last. “One I cannot see the Ryū or Tora readily accepting. This scroll might bear further witness to this act of treachery, but it is rendered useless by the sea.”

  “Yet the rings were placed together,” Aya countered. “And this, at the least, means that the Ryū and Tora daimyō acted in accord with each other. Their hatred for Mashige might have bound them together for the first time in generations.”

  “It undermines the theory that they slew each other during the battle, at least,” Tanuki said.

  Yukiana’s face remained sullen. “This is not much proof to go on.”

  “It may be all we have,” said Aya, rising again, “And time is against us.”

  Yuki replaced the rings and closed the lacquered box. Aya bound it with some cord that she had and placed it back in the girl’s hands.

  The former Sage bowed to her with an air of finality. “This is your chance to alter the future, Yukiana-san. Go and do what you can.”

  Yuki, who despite having only just met the former Sage, revered her and was saddened to have to part with her. Trying her best to disguise her disappointment asked, “What will you do?”

  The older woman smiled and cast her gaze out on the sea, finally tranquil in the early morning sun. “I shall tell those who need to hear, that a new Sage has come. Though you still have a long way to go, I have seen enough. You have mettle, and that, my dear girl, is the most important thing. Next, you shall need good friends. But because of our enemies, we do not have time for you to fully blossom into your powers. You have one dear companion, that is well. But you will need more, and soon. That, I will try and provide.”

  Both Yukiana and Tanuki bowed low, as Taka’s piercing gaze fell upon them one last time.

  “May the All-kami guide you,” Aya said with a smile, then turned, and strode back into the forest from where she had come.

  Both Yukiana and Tanuki, exhausted from that night’s endeavors, silently agreed that they would rest before departing. Both lay down in the sand and let the rolling of the waves carry them into a restful sleep.