Koyasan by Darren Shan Read Free Book Online

seemed to have been carved out of hardened pus and blood, a horrible mess of red, green and yellow. In a strange way the face matched the clothes the creature was wearing, but this only drew more attention to its horrific features.
    The spirit had no eyes or mouth, but it knew Koyasan was there because it somehow smiled. Koyasan wasn’t sure how she knew the spirit was smiling — it’s difficult to smile without a mouth — but it was. There was a low noise, which might have been a chuckle or just the wind rustling the trees. Then the spirit stood and advanced elegantly, walking towards her like an elder marching in a procession, dignified and graceful, its movements in complete contrast to its chaotic mess of a face.
    Koyasan backed away. She wanted to turn and run, but not before she’d had a good long look at her foe. She’d learnt from her previous lesson and was eager to get the measure of this spirit, so that she could find its weak spot and defeat it. But whatever this creature was made of, it wasn’t snow. The garlic- breath trick wouldn’t work a second time.
    While Koyasan was backing away and studying the spirit, it picked up a branch and held it out in both hands, letting the light of the moon shine directly upon it. As Koyasan watched, moss grew along the length of the stick. Then it turned black and began to crumble away, rotting at an impossibly fast rate. Seconds later, only a few mouldy shreds of the stick remained, and the spirit coolly brushed these away, stooping to wipe its hands clean on the grassy forest floor.
    When it stood again, Koyasan no longer had the sense that it was smiling. The contours of its face now seemed to be trying to crinkle themselves into a vicious sneer. It pointed at her with a long, yellowish finger, and Koyasan knew it was vowing to rot her down to the bone, as it had rotted the stick.
    The spirit started towards her, taking longer steps now, picking up speed. It was time to fight or flee. And since she hadn’t yet spotted any weakness which she might be able to exploit, Koyasan spun away from the spirit, chose a random path and ran for her life through the forest. The sharply dressed, nightmarishly featured spirit followed in close, fetid pursuit.

A STITCH IN TIME
     
    Koyasan KNEW she had the power to destroy this spirit of decay, but how? She kept thinking about its face and suit, and what it had done to the stick. How could a girl like her defeat a creature as powerful as this? She didn’t dare touch it. Perhaps she could lead it into a trap or push it off a cliff — except she had set no traps and there were no cliffs here.
    Was the stream the answer? Lead it to the water’s edge and shove it in? That might work, but she had no idea how to find her way back to the stream. She’d been lost in the forest after five minutes. She guessed she could keep running and hope to find her way out, but that wasn’t much of a plan.
    Also, it wasn’t using her brain. Itako had been very specific. Koyasan would have the means to defeat all three spirits, but only if she was brave and used her intelligence. Running blindly, hoping for the best, wasn’t the answer.
    She risked a look over her shoulder. The spirit was lolloping after her, moving as gracefully as before, ducking to avoid low-hanging branches, neatly swerving around the outstretched fingers of thorny bushes. Koyasan was stabbed and sliced all over, but the spirit appeared as immaculate as it had in the clearing.
    Looking forward again, Koyasan noticed a large muddy puddle several paces ahead. Not slowing, she leapt over it. Her heels caught the far end of the puddle and she slipped, coming to a crashing halt against a nearby tree.
    It took Koyasan a few seconds to regain her feet and she was sure they would be her final seconds. All the spirit had to do was jump over the puddle — easy with its long legs — and it would have her. But, as she shook her head clear and looked up, she saw the spirit pause at the