Koichi snorted as Ryuichi slipped and fell on top of him. The two of them slammed into the ground. They’d only made it about ten feet up. Which was good, in that it didn’t kill them or break anything.
Bad, because it hurt. Especially with Ryuichi elbowing him to get off his pain-filled body.
Awesome. His skills had seriously eroded, and Ryuichi had none at all.
“Why are you complaining, kid? I cushioned you.”
Ryuichi responded with a sneer.
Sitting up, Koichi shouted at Masaru. “You’re welcome to come down here and help with the kid.” After all, he’d never been a particularly good climber on his best days. And that was drunk.
Sober...
He was afraid of heights and hated doing this.
Ryuichi stomped the ground. “I can’t climb that wall.”
They all stared at Ryuichi.
“I don’t know how to climb.”
Koichi groaned. He knew the answer before he asked, but he was feeling rather futile at the moment and wanted a little corroboration that they were as stupid as he was. “Anyone think to bring a rope?”
At this point, he might use it to hang himself.
Masaru snorted. “As I said earlier, I’m the brains, and you’re the brawn, Koichi. We have a good system. It would be terrible to mess it up.”
Brains that couldn’t think ahead to get a rope...
He kept that thought to himself, as this wasn’t the time to start a fight. “What about you, Keiko?”
She licked her paw daintily. “It’s inelegant. Besides, one of you might look up my kimono.”
Koichi let out a disgusted sigh. Kitsune. If only he could trade one of them for an oni or something more useful... like a head injury.
Of course, the oni would probably eat the kid, and then where would they be?
Well, only slightly worse off than they currently were. That was the saddest part of all.
Yeah, his life really stank.
No sooner had that thought gone through his head than he noticed something...
The shadows were moving.
Coming closer. Manifesting weapons and growling.
“Hey, Masaru...”
“I see it.”
“You planning on doing something, or just taking notes?”
Masaru vanished.
Koichi was aghast. “Well, that’s just fine and dandy.” He passed an irritated smirk at Keiko as she skittered back toward the ground where they waited.
What had he expected? Masaru to stand and fight? When had Masaru ever been reliable?
