Shattered Seal

 

 

--- Izumo region, Japan ---

*Tara, along with the rest of Team 226 has traveled from the temple to the grounds that are said to house a powerful seal, which they believe could be the source of the increased supernatural activity in the area.*

Tara: *Stops short* W-what the hell happened here?

*The area seems to be destroyed, as if there had been a battle, yet at the same time, there seems to be a dark low sitting fog. Trees are blackened and twisted, while there is a deep sense of dread chilling the air*

???: Whatever happened here, it’s no wonder that it’s been drawing danger here like flies. Can you feel it? That dark, ominous aura? There’s been death here. If that won’t bring in malevolent beings, nothing will.

Tara: *Shudders* And the more it draws in, the more people die, so the more supernatural comes here. It’s like some morbid vicious cycle. *looking around* Is it just me, or is the destruction worse that way?

Agent: No, you’re right. If our calculations are correct, I think if we follow the increasing destruction, we should be able to find our source.

Tara: Let’s hope we don’t also find traps or hungry demons that way too. But worries aside, we should keep our guard up. Better paranoid than eaten, right? Let’s go.

*The group follows the destruction. The closer to the centre they get, the more twisted and darker it seems to get, until they reach a gave, the entrance of which looks as though it was once cordoned off by seals and such, but these are torn away, lying loosely and the ground. However, looking them over, they seem as though they have been lying there for some time, damaged by weather and the writing on them faded.*

Tara: *Crouching down to look* This wasn’t done recently. It’s got to have been broken for, a few years now. It seems to match the time that the Monk mentioned the supernatural started to get more active. From the way the remains are left, It looks like something went inside first *indicating where some of the wood that had sealed the area was laying neatly to one side.* but then something far bigger broke the rest of the way out *indicating scattered remains*

???: I don’t like this...People usually know with these kind of seals to stay the hell away. They aren’t normal ones, they are supposed to keep up a barrier to prevent people getting close. Someone powerful had to have come this way, otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to overcome it.

Tara: *Squinting into the cave* Uh….Is it just me, or can you see markings in the walls?

Agent: Markings?

Tara: Yeah, can you see them?

???: *Trailing fingers on the cave wall* You’re right. There was a battle here. Someone used a sword here. Considering the small space it’s not surprising that it marked the walls. Considering the crumbling as well in the walls, spiritual attacks may have been involved as well. *sniffs the air *its faint at this point, but there’s no doubt: blood was spilt here.

Tara: ..Lovely….

*Entering the cave, one of the agents pulling out a torch, they get further inside until they reached a larger area, at the end is a large carved statue, which has a strange, unknown marking that resembles a glyph of some kind, however, the statue was also cracked straight down the middle and crumbling in places, blackened in others as well. Additional paper seals that were once covering the statue littered the floor. On some of these, the torn sheets were covered in dried blood, or are blackened as if burned.*

???: *covers his nose* Ugh!

Agent: Definitely death here. Though it looks like whoever died was removed. Considering all this blood, there’s no doubt that someone died here and someone else either braved the area to get the body, or bodies out, or whoever was fighting here, the survivor might have removed it.

Agent 2: It’s not surprising. They say that a person can’t rest until their bodies are laid to rest themselves Leaving bodies here would just attract even more youkai like Geki - hungry ghosts - or other carrion based youkai, or would even turn the spirits of the dead into Youkai themselves.

Tara: Uh….there’s still the thought that they could have been eaten already…..or worse, whatever got released could have possessed a body left behind. There are some supernatural creatures that will do that...

???: It’s true, unfortunately, though only a few creatures will possess a dead body - they don’t tend to last long. Not to mention the stronger the possessing being, the faster it would break apart.. Unfortunately, the body issue isn’t our main issue right now. Whatever was sealed in that thing? That was something that really….really shouldn’t have been let out. Its powerful. And that was in a weakened state by the seal. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like now after years of being released.

Tara: There’s something even worse to think of as well: Is it just the remnants of whoever’s power was left that’s drawing the youkai, or is whatever was sealed here still around purposefully drawing things here?

???: And if it is still here, where is it hiding now?

*There is a cry from one of the agents and the torch clatters to the floor, plunging the cave into darkness, to everyone’s startled cries*

Unknown Voice: Where indeed?

[END]