That’s when the kids saw a light in the distance, on ground level. It was pale, narrow-- but in the absence of most non-snake based illumination, it sure stood it. A slit, a gap between floorboards that let them look into the story below. And along with the light came voices, carrying from below.
“They’re here, then,” said a voice, male, calm, and a bit gruff.
“Yes,” another voice, lower, and louder, replied. “There’s two groups of them here! Ohhhh, I can’t believe these kids. They have guts, alright! Can you believe they blew up the rat guards? They blew up the rat guards...“
“Mmm...” the more tempered voice said, without any particular emotion attached to it.
By this point Ami, Asami and the boys (and the horrible Horse of Discomfort) would be close enough to peek down. There, in a brightly, warmly lit room, they would spy two figures... though only one was visible, the one that the louder voice belonged to. It was a squat-looking Oni in a security suit - the one Mitsuya had encountered before. And he stood by an ornate desk that had a stash of treasure.
“Takuro-kun,” Itsuki whispered to the other boy. “Isn’t that some of the stuff that was in that room we fell into the first time?”
Meanwhile, the two figures below went on talking.
“So what do we do now?! Do we go gut them? Should we cut off their arms and use them to slap one another? That’ll teach them respect! That’s how my mother taught me!”
“She cut off your arm...?” the other voice asked, disinterest briefly suspended.
“Yes.”
“But you have two...”
“I got better!” The Oni growled. “No self-respecting Oni lets getting your limbs cut off get the best of you! You just grab ‘em and stick ‘em back on!”
“Right...”
“But you haven’t answered yet? What do we do?”
“I’m going to go take care of the ones on this story. You should stay here,” the voice said, calmly. “And watch the very important treasure that by no means should be left in their hands, making sure that, no matter what, they don’t surprise you by dropping down from the ceiling, hitting you on the head, as in, ”
“Right!” the squat Oni said, only to pause. “Er! Aren’t you being overly expository, sir?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about...” said the voice, before its presence moved...
It was, Takuro would sense, the largest presence he’d felt. Only it was now shrunken, dulled-- no less powerful in his mind, but it was as if these beings could, when so desired, stand out less...
And then the room below them was left in the charge of the squat oni.
THE PLOT HAS ARRIVED
“They’re here, then,” said a voice, male, calm, and a bit gruff.
“Yes,” another voice, lower, and louder, replied. “There’s two groups of them here! Ohhhh, I can’t believe these kids. They have guts, alright! Can you believe they blew up the rat guards? They blew up the rat guards...“
“Mmm...” the more tempered voice said, without any particular emotion attached to it.
By this point Ami, Asami and the boys (and the horrible Horse of Discomfort) would be close enough to peek down. There, in a brightly, warmly lit room, they would spy two figures... though only one was visible, the one that the louder voice belonged to. It was a squat-looking Oni in a security suit - the one Mitsuya had encountered before. And he stood by an ornate desk that had a stash of treasure.
“Takuro-kun,” Itsuki whispered to the other boy. “Isn’t that some of the stuff that was in that room we fell into the first time?”
Meanwhile, the two figures below went on talking.
“So what do we do now?! Do we go gut them? Should we cut off their arms and use them to slap one another? That’ll teach them respect! That’s how my mother taught me!”
“She cut off your arm...?” the other voice asked, disinterest briefly suspended.
“Yes.”
“But you have two...”
“I got better!” The Oni growled. “No self-respecting Oni lets getting your limbs cut off get the best of you! You just grab ‘em and stick ‘em back on!”
“Right...”
“But you haven’t answered yet? What do we do?”
“I’m going to go take care of the ones on this story. You should stay here,” the voice said, calmly. “And watch the very important treasure that by no means should be left in their hands, making sure that, no matter what, they don’t surprise you by dropping down from the ceiling, hitting you on the head, as in, ”
“Right!” the squat Oni said, only to pause. “Er! Aren’t you being overly expository, sir?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about...” said the voice, before its presence moved...
It was, Takuro would sense, the largest presence he’d felt. Only it was now shrunken, dulled-- no less powerful in his mind, but it was as if these beings could, when so desired, stand out less...
And then the room below them was left in the charge of the squat oni.