Closing a gate and a loose thread.
Eventually Gunba san mentioned the wagon could not get any closer and still be able to turn around. So they set for the return trip and moved forward on foot. Continuing on the group fought another collection of tree spirits animating fauna to attack. While they were successful in defeating this group as well, it was the aftermath that bears note.
Embedded in one of the vine’s larger trunks was katana with a thin, jade green, colored blade! Having studied nemurani weapons Donoha sama was familiar with the tales of the Phoenix blades that had jade permanently infused during their creation. These tales talked of wakizashi sized weapons, so the katana sized version was exceptionally rare. Asahi sama took possession of the jade katana until he could figure out how it might be returned.
While that was unfolding, Gunba san had been communing with earth kami that had been trapped and animating the trees and vines. There was no telling how long some of them had been bound to the roots, trunks, and vines here. Now they were free once more as we cut our way through the cursed land.
The quartet continued onward until they reached the lost village inside of Kuroi Mori. Unsure of what to expected the town did not look like a disaster had befallen it. It was more a sense of abandonment followed by the elements beginning to reclaim it over the years. A blessing of the kami upon the samurai was Kitagawa-neko. They found a rather curious cat living among the abandoned town. Until Asahi sama named it Kitagawa the others had been calling it neko sama.
The reason for such deference was not to any kawaii nature of the animal. It seemed to understand low Rokugani when spoken to. It then led the group through the city to the Gate of Jigoku! Inside a humble temple near to center of the town did a longstanding thread become tied up.
In a rather large lower chamber was a ghastly sight. A circle of salt marred by blood and the body of a woman. Donoha sama recognized her even though he’d only seen visions of her when she was younger. This was the sister of the man whom went by Doji Hengo! Her blood was being drawn from a wound on her, and moving of its own voalition to the center. Where floating just off the ground in a column of green light was the possessed form of the man known as Doji Hengo!
The group leapt into action even without the context of Donoha sama’s realization. Asahi sama began to shoot the jade arrows into the shifting form as differing personalities began to show themselves. Gunba san began to entreat the kami to aid his newfound friends. Donoha sama pulled the woman from the circle to prevent more blood from entering this dark ritual. Tamaki san aided Gunba san in a binding ritual to seal the portal once more. Part of which was entreating the kami to lift the small section of blood soaked salt away. Then it was reapplied to make it whole once more.