PART ONE: The Exiled Prince

In ancient times the land lay covered in forest where from ages long past dwelt the spirit of the gods…

I

Ashitaka: The Demon Boar

Mounted upon my red elk, Yakkuru, I race through the dense thicket on a narrow forest path. As the prince of the Emishi tribe, I am one of the most important people in the community. This morning the men sense something eerie within the foliage, and I do too. The feeling is unsettling. The trees eventually thin out to a field with a small path running by it, separated by stone blocks. I jump onto the blocks, and motion for Yakkuru to come up. He clambers up a wooden ramp and I mount again. Ahead I see three village girls running towards me.

"Ani-sama!"

One of them calls out to me. She is Kaya, my betrothed. She calls me "big brother" as a respectful title. We grew up together in the small village and have a strong bond, though the marriage is arranged by her parents. I halt Yakkuru to a stop by the girls.

"Hii-sama wants everyone to go back to the village," I tell her. Hii-sama is the most respected elder in our village. Her position as the oracle gives her a place among the council of men.

"Ji-Ji says so too," Kaya says.

"Ji-Ji?" It is also unusual for the beloved grandfather of the village to make such a request.

"He says the mountains are strange," she continues.

"The birds have all disappeared," the girl by her says.

"And all the animals," the other adds.

How odd. "I see," I murmur. "I'm going to check on Ji-Ji. Everyone go back to the village!"

"Yes, sir!" They hurry away. I ride on the winding path to the west field, where a lone watch tower stands on spindly wooden legs. Ji-Ji is at the top, keeping careful watch. I leap off the Yakkuru and climb onto the ladder. Halfway up, I lean against the railings to look at the woods.

"Huh…" It's not right. The feeling is weird, and I can't name it. The trees below convulse, as if hiding something within. "Something's coming!" I climb to the very top of the tower.

"Ji-Ji, what is it?" I ask him quietly. The usual noisy sounds of the forest creatures are absent.

"It's not a human," he replies.

"Back at the village, Hii-sama is calling everyone to return."

Ji-Ji gasps. "It's coming!" I draw an arrow and nock it on my bow, pulling the string back, ready to fire. Suddenly, I feel the temperature lower, as if a massive storm cloud has passed over the sun. The trees convulse even more, shrinking back from green to a brown-red color. Now I can clearly see something behind it. Writhing worms, tentacles making soft repulsive noises.

It is silent for a moment. Then the stone structure surrounding the trees explodes forward. A huge creature made of the tentacles climb out, the eyes red with rage. It destroys everything in its path with the black-red worms.

"It's a Tatari-gami!" Ji-Ji shouts.

"Tatari-gami?" A demon god! My stomach turns at the thing below us, sliding across the field. Tatari-gami, a "cursed demon god", makes even the fiercest warriors quake. Mothers use them to scare children into obedience. A Tatari-gami haunts the dreams during those dark nights when the moon can't be seen. But never has one actually been seen from so close, let along entered the village premises.

The creature crawls towards the tower at an alarming pace. The snake-like things fly up, revealing a maddened boar beneath. They rain down again and the Tatari-gami gains onto us. I am suddenly aware of Yakkuru grazing at the bottom. He has seen the demon too, and is paralyzed with fear.

"Yakkuru, run!" I shoot an arrow by him, startling him out of his state just in time for the elk to bound away from danger.

The tentacles wrap itself around the tower, causing it to start collapsing. I grab Ji-Ji and my bow, leaping to safety for the forest foliage below as the watch tower falls. I push through the branches and see the Tatari-gami making its way to our village.

"It's headed towards the village!" I shout. "It's going to attack!" I jump down from the tree.

"Ashitaka!" Ji-Ji calls to me. "Don't touch the Tatari-gami. You'll be cursed if you do!"

I climb out of the trees and whistle for Yakkuru. He leaps gracefully to me, and I mount, getting my bow ready. We race down rocky slopes and towards the mad boar, which has entered the forest again. I see it by me, and guide Yakkuru so it is chasing us instead of the other way around.

"Calm! Calm down!" I yell at the mass of tentacles behind me. "Surely you are to all appearances a mountain god of name, but why do you rampage like this?" We run out of the trees and into the open again. The village is right beneath. I can see Kaya and her two friends still walking towards it. The Tatari-gami turns around and sees them. I am not its target anymore.

They start to run down the hill, the monster hot on their heels. I ride by it, trying to keep control. "Stop! Why do you attack our village?! Stop it! Calm down!"

I turn around and am horrified to see one of the girls has fallen. Kaya has her knife, but it'll do little good against the demon. To buy them a little more time, I draw an arrow and shoot. It pierces the red eye, and the boar squeals an ugly noise. The snakes writhe around and the boar screams in agony. I make sure Kaya and her friends have gotten out of the monster's sight and to safety. In my distraction, a branch of tentacles shoots out at me, encasing my right arm.

Ji-Ji's warning echoes in my head. Don't touch the Tatari-gami!

I rip my arm from the snakes, but the damage is done. I can feel it eating away my flesh.

Yakkuru gallops towards the monster. I take aim with an arrow, with the snakes still squirming on my arm. The arrow flies true and straight, into the boar's temple. I quickly nock another, but the tentacles fall back. The monster is dying. The snakes flow off the boar, revealing its true and enraged form.

Dropping the arrow, I clench my fist. The place where the demon's tentacles touched is hissing and smells of rotting flesh. I grimace and see the great boar fall on its side.

A crowd has gathered to watch the fight. Shouts ring from the men.

"Ani-sama!" Kaya runs to me.

"Get Hii-sama! Hurry!" I hear villagers yelling orders, and I fall off of Yakkuru. My arm is enveloped in a horrible aura of death. Kaya reaches to tend the wound, but I stop her. "Kaya, don't touch it. It's no ordinary wound." I grab the green turf and rub it on the arm to try to stem the pain.

"Ashitaka is wounded! Where's Hii-sama?!" I see the old woman coming towards me on the back of one of the men.

She gives Kaya a gourd of liquid, which is poured over my arm. It sizzles even more, and I wince. While I look over my arm, Hii-sama attends the fallen Tatari-gami. I look up as the creature groans its last words.

"Disgusting little creatures," it moans. "You will soon know of my suffering and hatred." The Tatari-gami then rots into the earth, its skin and flesh sinking into the bones. A disgusting odor fills the air.

Kaya and I look on with feeling of foreboding.