He pointed to the telescopes aimed at the stunning view of the city and the river. “Can you imagine being Lord Hiroie and having the privilege to gaze at this every day? It must have been heaven. I missed the opportunity to see it before it was torn down.”
There goes Kenzo waxing poetic again. Wait a sec. What did he just say? “You act a lot older than your age, but I don’t think you’re over 300 years old.”
A forced laugh came from his lips. “Good to know you were listening. I throw out lines like that to test if people are paying attention. You passed.”
Something seemed too pat about his answer. My new powers sensed Kenzo was hiding another secret, besides being a PSIA agent. I brushed it off.
Before I could think of a good come back, Ren stood next to me frowning. “You were supposed to go through the museum before coming up here. The collection is small, but there are some notable pieces from the Tokugawa Shogunate.”
“I beg to differ.” Kenzo looked back at the view of the city. “The highlight of the castle is beyond these windows.”
Ren’s arms crossed over her chest. “This is the last time I let a tour guide with an ego the size of Texas tag along.”
Kenzo’s phone buzzed in his trouser pocket. “We are going to have to cut the tour short. I need to head back to Kyoto.” He patted the side of his briefcase. “There is still some business to handle.”
We silently descended the stairs and walked back down the path and waited once again for the cable car. I noticed this time the bottom of the car had cherry blossoms painted along the edge. A striking contrast to the blue upper portion of the car. Kenzo glared at me as I took a picture of the cable car when the beauty of the castle was still in view. But my artist eye couldn’t resist the play of the contrast colors.
Back at the bottom of the hill, Ren hailed a taxi and sped toward the ryokan. Kenzo sat talking to the driver telling him he’d give him a tip if we got us to the inn quickly.
As the taxi driver practically hit the curb in front of the inn, I took in the worn cedar clad traditional building that looked a bit worse for wear. Maybe Ren’s budget had hit bottom. Then I turned and realized we were steps away from the famous Kintai Bridge over the Nishiki River and knew the inn must be quite expensive.
A pretty woman in her twenties dressed in a blue and white kimono greeted us at the front door. I caught Kenzo eyeing her as she led us to our room. She gave Kenzo a quick glance but said nothing as Ren turned the key in the door. Once inside I said, “You know Kenzo, you just ruined our reputations. How are we ever going to have dinner here tonight?”
He laughed. “Japanese are quite discrete. You may get a few sideways glances, but nothing more.”
Ren went over and knelt down on an embroidered blue floor cushion. “As you said partner, we have business to tend to. Show Erin what you brought for her.”
Kenzo knelt down next to Ren and opened the briefcase. Inside were various folders and papers, but under them he pulled out a purple velvet box. It reminded me of a box someone gave me for my birthday that had fancy Italian chocolates inside.
He pushed it toward me. “Here is your first test of your transformation powers. Open it.”
I knelt down next to the box, carefully lifting the lid to see what sat inside. I sucked in a breath when I spied yet another bronze amulet. This one filled up my entire hand. It resembled a super-sized claw from a large animal like a grizzly bear—no more like a velociraptor.
“Is this supposed to be something besides a claw?”
Kenzo shifted on his legs. “Only you can answer that question. The PSIA is hoping it is something quite precious.”
Holding the bronze claw in my hand, the first thing I noticed was its weight. If it truly had been cast in bronze, I should have had a hard time holding it off the tatami floor. Instead, I could easily turn it over in my hand. Placing one hand over the other, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the claw. Just like when I scanned the second ghost to discover it was Ren, I scanned the claw and noticed the edge didn’t resemble cast metal. The bronze casing held something smooth inside—something green and translucent—a stone. Squeezing my hands together, the bronze outer shell spit apart as if I had the strength of the Hulk. Inside sat a gleaming, almost translucent piece of emerald green jade.
Ren gasped. “It is the imperial stone—Amaterasu’s gem!”
Kenzo actually turned pale. “Her gem has been lost for centuries. I’ve been looking for it since…”
Ren shook her head. “
“Erin, you did what the PSIA never could.” Kenzo reached over and hugged me so tight I dropped the gemstone. “You’re truly one of us.”
Kumamoto or Bust
May 2nd 6:00AM
Six o’clock in the morning sure came fast when you went to bed at two in the morning. I couldn’t sleep after the super charged buzz I got from transforming the sacred object. As we were on a tight schedule, we just asked for the inn to pack us some fish rice balls as our breakfast. I never had a chance to hit the river while we were here or take a leisurely stroll across the amazing Kintai Bridge I saw from the castle.
Ren zoomed out of the room with her roller bag click clacking behind her. I tagged beside her trying to keep up. By the time I made my way out the front door she sat waiting for me in the back seat of a taxi. The sun rising over the river gave the sky an orange sherbet glow. Part of me wished I had Ren’s power of super speed. At times like this it sure would come in handy.
The sun inched its way up in the sky as we sped toward the train station. We raced through the early morning commuters to get to our Shinkensen headed for Kumamoto. Back in another ultra-comfortable first-class seat, I dozed off for over an hour until Ren nudged me awake. “Look, we are on the island of Kyushu now.”
The scenery shifted quickly as the train emerged from a tunnel and crossed onto the most southern island. Large green open spaces dotted with farms spread out across the horizon. With a much smaller population than on the big island of Honshu, there were far fewer cities to clutter up the landscape. After moving to the main part of Tokyo, it felt like a visual breath of fresh air.
Shifting in my seat, my legs ached from climbing the steep mountain in Iwakuni, but the castle had been totally worth it.
Ren sensing my movement stopped working on her laptop. “Today we are going to go to the Kumamoto Castle first, and then to Iso Garden. I thought we would end your vacation with a place of serenity and beauty. Well, except for Sakurajima Volcano, which is active and known to puff smoke every once in awhile.”
“Sounds like the perfect end to the trip. You’ve planned out everything flawlessly, Ren.”
A huge smile took over her face for a second, and then she went back to finishing up her emails. I passed the time gazing out the window and just relaxing still trying to come off my high from last night. Remembering the hug Kenzo gave me still made my body tingle. The scent of his sandalwood cologne lingered in my hair. My crush on Kenzo only grew stronger having to work with him on such an exciting and dangerous mission.
A snap of Ren’s computer broke me from my Kenzo high. “We’re here in Kumamoto station.”
Funny, I didn’t hear the announcement. I flew out of my seat and grabbed my bag. Ren raced through the ultra-modern train station heading straight for a bank of lockers. “We need to stash our stuff here as we are taking the five PM train to Tokyo tonight. We should be back home by midnight.”
“I’ve got no problem with that.” I gave her my best devilish smile. “I’ll sleep the whole way home. I’ve perfected the salaryman’s art.”
Ren laughed. “So I have noticed.” She popped our luggage into two lockers and off we went illuminated by a series of huge circular tube lights that hung high overhead like spaceships.
As we took the bus to the castle, I finally had the time to enjoy the beauty of Kumamoto. An interlocking puzzle-like series of hillsides led up to the top of the mountain where many ancient battles took place. Black and forebodi
ng, Kumamoto Castle loomed high on its hill, the modern city flared around the base like a fancy skirt. The bright white trim shone like reflector tape in the sun. The series of stone fortress walls that surrounded the castle, looked like miniature versions of the Great Wall of China. Unfortunately, due to the 2016 earthquake, several of the walls were severely damaged.
Tossing my backpack over my shoulder, we got off the bus and walked toward the first set of walls. I craned my neck back to see the first of several guard towers.
Ren jumped into tour guide mode. “When Kumamoto castle was originally built in 1607, it held the title of one of the largest castles in Japan. This is one of the few guard towers left today. There used to be forty-six towers back in the sixteen-hundreds. At the time it had the honor of being the favorite hangout of the Tokugawa Shogunate.”
I could see why as the castle had an amazing view perched high up on its hill like an eagle. As we walked through the various perimeter walls you could see that the earthquake damage still lingered. Some walls were still standing while other sections were merely rocks scattered on the bright green lawns that punctuated the space between the walls. Ren stopped by the last perimeter wall that took us twenty minutes to reach. “To get to the main tower, you could imagine how hard it must have been for rival samurai to try and penetrate such a fortified castle, especially loaded down with heavy armor.”
I could sort of understand that, with my backpack digging into my shoulders. Taking a sip from my water bottle, I stopped to catch my breath and take in the history of the place.
Ren pointed to the main castle keep which still seemed far off in the distance. “This is another recreated castle. The original burned to the ground in a long fifty-day war in 1877. The government did not rebuild it until 1960.”
Interesting, about the same time as when they rebuilt Iwakuni Castle. When we finally reached the main tower, I could not believe it wasn’t centuries old. The cedar siding had oxidized to a deep black. “Ren, what gives the wood it’s rich color?”
“That’s a great question. They copied the original method used in the fifteenth century—persimmon tannins. The acids in the fruit cause the cedar to turn the dark deep color.”
“Wow, fascinating.” I took several shots of the castle and one close up of the siding. The formidably angled stonewalls looked old enough to have seen many bloody battles. The moat that circled the castle gave its European counterparts some competition. Not only did it have the ubiquitous swans, but large amounts of colorful koi swam leisurely in the moat’s waters. Once again, I felt like I landed in a fairy tale—a constant theme in Japan.
We walked through the main gates and my excitement grew. “Ren, I read in my history class that the castle museum has an amazing collection of samurai armor and swords. Let’s go straight there.”
Ren rolled her eyes just like Setsuko as I hurried inside the castle. I had to admit my history teacher hadn’t over-sold the impressive collection. The samurai armor and dramatic horned helmets spread out in large cases, but I suddenly felt drawn to another section of the museum. Inside a gold framed case hung a beautiful white kimono with huge orange chrysanthemums scattered all over it. It had a similar design to the one Amaterasu wore. I flashed back to my meeting with the Sun Goddess. The whole thing still didn’t seem real. Yet, I had the mirror necklace around my neck to prove it.
In another section of the museum they had a beautiful brocade covered palanquin. About the size of a bar fridge, I found it hard to imagine that someone used to ride inside it being carried along by two men—the ancient version of a taxi. The ancient Japanese must have been the size of today’s ten-year-old.
As much as I was fascinated by all the things in the museum, I wanted to head upstairs to the top of the castle and look out of one of the guard towers. Once again, the steep stairs proved my body to be totally out of shape. I huffed and puffed my way higher and higher until I hit the sixth floor. By the time I made it to the top, I could have used an oxygen tank.
Ren laughed. “I better take you to a gym when we get back. You are in no shape to fight Death.”
“It’s the stairs. They are so tiny I had to take little baby steps.”
Ren’s eyes narrowed unconvinced. To stop her teasing, I pointed out the tower window. “Look, isn’t the view incredible? You can even see the brass dolphin ornaments flying off the tips of the roof ridge.”
Ren shook her head. “Those aren’t dolphins, but shachihoko. They are mythological animals that have the face of a tiger and the body of a carp.”
“I guess I’ll have to take your word for it unless I climb up on the roof for a closer look.” Ren didn’t laugh. Instead, she looked at her watch and then quickly descended the stairs. The hike back to catch the bus felt like my mile-long slog to the Moris’ times ten. But as I plopped down on the hard bus seat and gazed back at the castle, I knew despite the pain in my legs I’d have tomorrow, I would never regret visiting.
I felt grateful for the half hour rest on the bus before our next stop. Ren pointed to the bay that grew closer and closer. “You are going to love Iso Garden. It’s a shutterbugs dream.”
I had no doubt as the bus dropped us off across from the garden entrance accented by a large stone tori gate. Although I had to admit the entrance surprised me. It screamed more amusement park than the typical sedate entrances of other large Japanese gardens I had been to. There were dozens of food vendors and souvenir stalls scattered along the main path. Once we made it past the commercial part of the garden and entered the main section, the amusement park vibe changed to a traditional tranquil Japanese garden. I headed straight for the formidable looking teahouse that took up the entire top of a knoll facing a large lake.
Ren’s tour guide voice kicked in. “The teahouse is over four hundred years old.”
My eyes scanned the edge of the lake surrounded by the most interesting mushroom shaped trees. As I strolled along the main pathway, I couldn’t help but notice the almost tropical feel to the weather despite it still being early in the morning. “Hey Ren, you were right about the weather. I do feel a bit like I’m in Hawaii.”
I hadn’t seen any palm trees yet, but then again, I was in the center of a Japanese garden. Inside the teahouse, I ordered a cup of tea and on the edge of my saucer sat a traditional sweet cake. Ren and I sat down on floor cushions on the veranda and gazed out over the lake and garden. The faint scent of jasmine drifted through the air. I couldn’t be in a more perfect place to relax and contemplate the battle that lay ahead.
Ren sat pensively looking out across the lake enjoying a taste of serenity before she went back to her crazy schedule at the PSIA. I took a sip of the matcha tea, the thick bitter flavor lingering on my tongue. Picking up the sweet cake, I took a bite. Although it was sickeningly sweet, it balanced out the bitterness of the tea. I learned that the Japanese loved to contrast the flavors of their food.
We left the calm of the teahouse and joined the building crowd touring the rest of the garden. I took some great shots of the various styles of mushroom trees and the beautifully mowed little hills and valleys throughout the garden.
My legs began to give out as the garden covered over twelve acres. The lakes and streams took up another three acres. It truly had to be one of the most wonderful examples of this style of garden and I could understand its theme park-like popularity.
The small streams that meandered around the garden held all different types of koi. I took a picture of one of my favorites. Its white body had a huge black splotch that covered one eye and ran down the side. I flashed on the koi I had painted in Kawanasan’s tea house. My goateed koi tribute to Kenzo. For once he hadn’t been on my mind—until now.
Ren tapped her watch signaling it was almost time to leave. She looked out toward the sparking blue bay. “I truly envy Lord Mitsuhisa who had this amazing view all to himself in 1659.”
He must have been unbelievably rich. The garden ran along a length of property that bordered Kinko Bay. From th
is vantage point, we had a picture postcard view of Mt. Sakurajima. We stood gazing at the majesty of the volcano sitting proudly on its own island. I crossed my fingers and hoped it would grace us with one of its famous puffs of smoke. The volcano was further evidence that Japan sat squarely on the ring of fire. I had stopped counting all the three and four point earthquakes I felt after the tenth one. They were just a part of life in Japan.
Ren turned to leave, and I glanced one last time out over at the impressive garden by the sea. The sun moved lower down on the horizon and the garden acquired a spectacular pale orange glow. I couldn’t help wishing Kenzo had joined us as the ocean sang its song. It truly was a very romantic place.
As we took the bus to the train station I turned around and was thrilled to see Mt. Sakurajima start to spout a plume of smoke. That is until a familiar face glared at me from its smoky halo. I instinctively grabbed onto the amulet box in the bottom of my backpack. Death’s face pushed forward in the smoke which caused me to clutch the box even harder. A warm sensation radiated up my arm. I stared into the plume of smoke that erupted out of the volcano and watched in shock as the face shattered into pieces like a broken dish. Death vanished.
My hand shook as I let go of the amulet. The reality of my power coursed through me like a bolt of lightning. A huge grin crossed my face as I realized I truly did have supernatural powers.
Death’s days were numbered.
Chapter 9
Finals Week—Oh Joy!
May 8th 7:50AM
Yuki’s fluffy tail swatted me in the face. “You are making me regret I asked Amaterasu if you could live with me.”
Ren laughed. “I told you be careful what you wish for.”
I straightened up my academy uniform jacket and grabbed my backpack from the hook over the shoe rack. “Don’t gloat too much, Ren. It’s finals week, so you are going to have to help take care of Yuki. Wish me luck on my Art History and Japanese finals.”
Final Showdown Page 9
