22. Akodo Yumako

Bog Hags

Month of the Horse 8th, 1125

The Fight

I charge forward with a roar that chills our foes and heartens my comrades! I notice that the 2 creatures have some similarities with the 2 hinin that were leading us here. But their skin, it's like it starts to fall off and a greenish skin appears beneath it. What kind of twisted shadowland creature is this? I draw my Katana and strike the left one. Meanwhile arrows and motes of flame fly around striking the creatures. The creatures also use some evil magic to fight us. Finally we succeed to incapacitate the left creature and I do one more strike to make sure it will never get up, covering me and Bayushi Kyo in green blood while it falls with a splash in the swamp. Before I can reach the other one through this swamp it's also killed.

We take some time to recover from the fight. Hiruma Tichuki and Isawa Aki tell us it were Bog Hags. These dreaded Shadowland creatures wear the skins of their victoms to masquerade as them. It appears they use Maho, blood magic. Hiruma Tichuki and Isawa Aki also want to burn the corpses, and Isawa calls the Kami to help with that.

After we had a short rest Hiruma Tichuki searched for more tracks and can find the goblin tracks again. But as it will be dark soon, and it's impossible to follow the tracks then we decide to head back. Luckily Hiruma Tichuki seems experienced in this kinds of terrain and helps us to find the way back.

The Inn

We go straigth to the Inn. There we have something to eat and I spend most of the evening cleaning myself, my armor and my weapon from the terrible smell and stains of the swamp and Bog Hags. I heard some of the others had a tea ceremony.

Month of the Horse 9th, 1125

The Golden Dream

The next morning we decide to not go to the swamp yet, but first pay the Golden Dream a visit. For this we have to go into the Wallow. What a terrible place is this, it seems this town only consists of places you would rather not be. At least it's good it's still quite on the streets this early in the morning.

We find the Golden Dream and are greeted by Aoi, a middle aged woman. Next to her is a bodyguard named Mugu. Aoi looks quite tired and not very interested in talking with us. While I look around a little the others ask her about Hiroshige. But it seems she isn't telling us anything, probably afraid of what her boss Hana will say about it. So we decided to look for Hana's place. When we walk again away from the Golden Dream Bayushi Kyo is nowhere to be seen...