Duty was important and he had been glad that she did not cause a scene or argue the case of him going or what not. She knew the information was important just as he knew he could do no more than annoy the Oni but he had only had to hold it back for a little while until Nodoka was away from this place.

Meanwhile Nodoka makes it to the horses, not stopping once she is mounted up she rides hard to the palace finding that the atmosphere is rather sullen. The Emperor has fallen ill and handling all of his affairs right now had been one of his elderly advisers Ku Kintan. Kintan was a bald man with a stooped posture that leaned heavily on a staff when he was upright or walking and it was he in the throne room that she saw now.

Nodoka took a slow breath as she got onto her horse and headed back quick to the palace. But hearing the news of the Emperor being ill she headed to the thrown room and saw Ku Kintan. She arrived and gave a bow to the advisor. "Apologies for the sudden arrival but I had to return with news of a group of Oni preparing an attack," Nodoka said softly looking at the advisor. "But I heard something has befallen our Emperor?" She asked softly

“Oni?” Kintan repeated as if he had not heard her correctly or hoped that he had not. Things were going from bad to worse and it may have been that the Oni had been responsible for Konoe's poor health. No one knew the cause of it and they already dispatched riders to fetch the best scholars and healers around.

“This may have something to do with the young Lord's deteriorating health ...” to him everyone was young and it seemed too much of a coincidence to ignore. “He had taken ill not long after you left the palace.”

"What could've happened in all of that time? Where is his love? Surely Tamano would have an answer to this illness?" Nodoka asked softly while giving her report about the oni forces she and her partner had encountered as best she could while her thoughts went to Tamano..where was the woman anyway?

“Unknown though we have searched for hr to no avail at this stage. It is suspicious and believed she may have had something to do with it but that is yet to be determined.” He relaid the information about the Oni to General Mushin so that he could formulate a plan with dealing with this.

“I need you to go to the Mountain of Tears now, we've sent riders in all directions but an extra rider North to that location will not hurt.

“Meet with Tosai the hermit and bring him back here. In his younger days he was an astrologer and may has some insight on the Emperor's illness, Akado went there but of all the healers and scholars he is perhaps the toughest one to get to.”

Nodoka nodded softly. "Of course I'll leave right away," She said softly and headed out of the room clenching a fist against her own chest. "We cannot lose the Emperor like this.." She whispered as she got onto her horse and quickly headed to the palace exit as fast as she could ride to the north.

The ride to the North was long though the Mountain of Tears had been unusual in that it stood apart from the others in the mountain chain as if it were being isolated for some reason. Closer to it she gets a chill, something is not quite right here …

A cold fog surrounds the ground and visibility is rather limited. As she continues she sees the bleached bones of skeletons, human, demon and animal though as she continues she sees scraps pf flesh on one before noticing a quick moment thereafter that eight green eyes burn in the mist as something is spat at hear, she can hear the sizzle of something burning as it hurls towards her, a guttural chuckle fills the air …

Nodoka sighed as she moved towards the mountain of tears walking through as she notices the bleached bones and gulped faintly gently guiding her horse deeper in only to see those 8 eyes. Nodoka quickly pulled the reins as the horse backed up just missing whatever it was that was spat at her as she glared and got off her horse and drew her sword. "Show yourself! Whatever you are?" She growled glancing around.

It chuckled, an errie sound as it came forth from the mist, a spider as large as her steady made mostly of stone, those green glowing eyes upon her, the mandibles clacking as it regarded her.

The thing chuckled at her. “You look quite tasty my dear!” Again it spat something at her though this time she had a better view of it, a glob of webbing that was rushing towards her as it continued to chuckle at her.

Nodoka widened her eyes and quickly ducked down to avoid the glob of webbing. Gripping her sword at the ready as she hopped off her horse. "I am not on anyone's menu...now leave, I have important work to finish." Nodoka said holding her sword at the ready.

She glared at the monstrous spider like being...part of her lack of fear was thinking it was just a dream.

The spider observed her as she came forth not displaying much if any fear. Her sword struck true as he had not attempted to dodge the attack at all. But being of stone he seemed unhindered by the attack. If she were stronger she might have chipped some of that stone exterior but that was doubtful.

With her moving up and he not bothering to evade at all he was able to launch an attack at about the same time. Rather then rearing back as a traditional spider would it allowed her to connect as one of his legs jabbed straight at her hitting her chest and forcing her back.

She was deposited on the ground landing near the fresh corpse of the latest victim, the coat of arms relayed to her that he was from the palace, probably Akado drained of his blood.

“Foolish girl. Fortunately I am not hungry just yet and so I can play with you a little.” Those mandibles opened and closed menacingly as he slowly neared then spitting a strand of webbing from his mouth again rather than needing to use spinnerets to produce webbing he attempted to snare her sword to wrench it away intending to disarm her before advancing further on her position.

Nodoka grunts as she was hit in the chest forcing her back as she landed on her back. Already she was getting up, before noticing a corpse belonging to someone from the palace as she grits her teeth. Only for a strand of webbing to snare her sword. She gripped her sword tightly trying to keep a hold of it but it was wrenched away leaving her defenseless as she back away.

The tug of war battle was brief, her sword wrenched from her grasp only to clatter somewhere on the ground behind the advancing creature. The strand of webbing was released as it jerked the sword from her, thus he freed him to speak or fire another strand as needed.

Chuckling he watched her as she recovered. As he advanced he spat another stream of webbing hitting the ground behind her then to the sides as she reclaimed her footing. She was essentially surrounded by the webbing save for the facing the spider was advancing from.

Unarmed with no place to go she could only advance toward him, could she scramble past the small space and avoid his reach?

“Little fly, what will you attempt to do? You cannot defeat me. You can only attempt to buy yourself time. A week. Perhaps two if I find you particularly delicious.” The way he said the last made it seem that consuming her for nourishment wasn't exactly what he meant.

Nodoka frowned noticing the opening between his legs as she suddenly rushed towards the strange creature. She tucked and rolled into a forward roll under it's body as she scrambled to her feet and attempted to run as fast as her legs could run down the path away from the creature with all the speed she could muster. Gritting her teeth hoping she could move out of the way before another strand of webbing was fired...she was not going to be some creatures nourishment.

If he could grin he would have done so. “Foolish girl, I have already stated how use -”

Expecting her to attack again she managed to duck under him and roll. He attempted to fall flat once he had been aware of the act but it took him off guard, at least this time. She narrowly cleared him, a puff of dirt raising up from the ground near him. This tactic made it impossible for him to spit more webbing at her as he had to get up then turn about to face her once more.

This gave her precious seconds, even the option of fleeing from the scene or attempting to strike from behind or search for vulnerable points if any.

She did not have long to decide one way or the other.