by Dani Hoots
And now Inari wanted to meet with me. I bit some more at my nail, hoping that they wouldn’t kick me out like Ichika said they would. Where would I go? What would I do? There was nowhere for me to go, and I understood nothing of the modern world. Everything would have been much simpler if Akikumo hadn’t left me here.
I still didn’t understand why he left me. Did I do something wrong? Had I caused a little too much trouble everywhere I went? None of the tricks I performed on humans were that dangerous and no one ever got hurt, so why did he leave me here? In his letter he said he wanted me to learn more about my kind and live in a society where I belonged. I learned nothing from them over the decades, other than they held themselves above everyone else and didn’t like me. I wondered if I would be like them when I received all nine of my tails. I really hoped not.
The shoji slid open and Ichika-sama motioned for me to enter. I bowed to her and stepped inside the room. The room decor included very simple designs. Shoji panels made up the opposite wall of the room and the side I had just entered from, while simple fusuma panels made up the other two walls. A rice field painting decorated one of the fusuma panels. The shoji that faced the outside was left open, letting the natural beauty of the maples add to the scenery. Inari sat at a small table for two that lay in the middle of the room. I knelt to the ground and bowed deeply.
“There is no need to bow that low. Please, take a seat.” Inari gestured to the opposite side of the table. Their voice was both sweet yet powerful. They smiled gently, accenting their high cheekbones, and large brown eyes.
I took a seat while still examining them. They sported a short haircut, the modernness surprising me as I didn’t expect a kami to follow human trends. Inari also wore a contemporary take of the multilayered kimono with a white plain one with a red obi covered by a pink-and-orange floral kimono that was left open like a haori. It simply hung off them, delicate yet a powerful statement declaring their leadership. Of all the things I hated about the shrine, I very much appreciated everything Inari had done for me. It wasn’t their fault that the kitsune picked on me. It wasn’t their job to deal with petty squabbles. They had much more to take care of.
“Would you like some tea?” they asked as they grabbed the iron pot.
I slightly bowed my head. “I am not worthy of being served a pot of tea by you, Inari-sama.”
“Nonsense. You are my guest today.” They poured the tea and handed me the iron cup carved with sakura. I smelled the floral scent of the tea as the steam rose into the air.
I tilted my head down. “Thank you very much.” I took a sip and slurped lightly. The strong, earthy flavor with a hint of jasmine filled my mouth. I had never tasted tea so delicate and flavorful, and I had drunk a lot of tea with Akikumo. I stared at it, taken aback. It was the most wonderful tea I had ever had.
Inari laughed a little, seeing my reaction. “It is an excellent tea, is it not? This tea has always been my favorite. Akikumo-sama always tried to get me to tell him where I found it, but I never told him.”
“Why is that, Inari-sama?”
“I guess it was to give him something to search for. He and I both have lived for a long time, and it’s the petty things that keep us entertained.”
I nodded as if I understood, but I didn’t, especially since I could have been drinking this tea with him a long time ago. I guess I shouldn’t complain, as I had tasted many different, wonderful teas in the past.
“Now.” Inari placed their cup down. “Ichika-san has brought up some of the troubles she is having with you.”
I lowered my head. “I’m sorry that my disobedience has involved you, Inari-sama. I didn’t mean to cause trouble. It was disrespectful to you as you took me in all those years ago. I understand if you want to get rid of me.”
“I wouldn’t want to get rid of my most interesting kitsune here. No, I understand why you are frustrated, and for that, I am sorry.”
I shook my head. “You have no reason to be sorry. You took me in when Akikumo-san brought me here over a century ago. I am truly grateful for everything.”
“But you don’t believe you fit in, am I right?”
Slowly I nodded. “But that isn’t anyone’s fault. I wasn’t raised with other kitsune, so I don’t know how to act or any of the proper etiquette. I acknowledge I have let you down.”
“You have not let me down. I am particularly entertained by all the mischief you get into. Between you and me, Ichika-san needs to let loose a little herself. Watching her run after you makes me laugh. But don’t tell her I said that.”
I smiled. I couldn’t believe they found making Ichika run around delightful. A gentle breeze came in from the outside, and some maple leaves danced their way into the room. My shoulders relaxed, and I stopped fiddling with my kimono.
“Now, as to why I brought you here.” Inari took a sip of their tea and filled the cup some more. “I believe a lot of your frustration stems from not knowing what has happened to Akikumo-sama, am I right?”
I nodded, a little subconscious that this kami was having to deal with my worries. “Yes.”
“As I thought. I think it is time you go on a journey to find what has happened to our friend Akikumo-sama. I am eager to find out myself, if I am being honest.”
My heart raced. Was I finally going to be able to find him? Was this when I was going to prove to the others that they were wrong?
“A lot of the other kitsune say he is dead, but I don’t believe that. There is no way Akikumo-san could have died without me feeling it.”
“I agree. I don’t think he is gone.” They took a sip of their tea. “And I had a mutual friend of ours recently tell me where they last spotted him.”
My ears perked up. “You know where he is?” I asked, my tails wagging back and forth.
“Yes, but I am not sure if it is correct. They said they saw him about a couple of decades ago, maybe longer knowing yokai, but they have not seen him leave the area. We both assume he is still there.”
“He does that sometimes,” I explained. “As if he is waiting for something. He will stay in one of his homes and let the time pass until he is needed.”
“So I have noticed. Now, would you be willing to go look for him for me? So we both know what has happened to our dear friend?”
I nodded quickly. “Of course. I will do anything to find him.”
Inari smiled. “I am glad you put it like that, as there is more to the conditions.”
My tail stopped wagging. “What are the conditions?”
Sipping their tea, they continued. “The priest of this temple has a son who I believe one day will be a valuable successor. However, right now he is in high school and is a bit of troublemaker.” Inari smiled. “Kind of like you.”
“I don’t quite understand. Do you want me to scare him or something?”
They shook their head. “No, nothing like that. I want you to take him with you as you search for Akikumo-sama.”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. There was no way I could say no. It just wouldn’t be an option with a god like Inari, especially when they were giving me the one thing I had always wanted: answers.
“With all due respect,” I began. “A human won’t be of any help for a yokai or kami matter. Most humans can’t even see most yokai these days. I won’t be able to protect them from something they can’t understand.”
“This human can see yokai. That is why I expect he would make a great priest. He will know the surrounding dangers when you are searching, don’t worry about that. He also has been training, secretly, how to exorcize the evil yokai. The boy may act like he doesn’t care about his father’s work, but I can see the things he does when no one is looking. He could become powerful one day. That is, if he has the proper guidance.”
“And you assume I am the proper guidance? Wouldn’t Ichika-san be better suited?”
“You believe a kami is wrong?”
I lowered my head. “Not at all, Inari-sama. I do not question
your actions.”
“Good. I trust he will come out of this a lot wiser. And you as well. I know you don’t like humans.”
My ears twitched. “If you know I don’t like humans, then why do you want me to take one with me?”
Inari’s amber eyes gently gazed into mine. “Because it is time you learned that not all humans are evil and that we need to learn to coexist. They are not the enemy but a being just like you and me.”
“But they are weak-minded and always resort to violence. They act before they think, and they live such brief lives.” I listed all the things I hated about humans, then I saw Inari frown. Lowering my head, I apologized. “I’m sorry, Inari-sama. I will do as asked of me.”
“I am glad to hear it. Now, let us finish this tea and enjoy the summer day.”
I watched as the maples danced around in the wind, the green contrasting the red torii. I rubbed my magatama. This would be my chance to find Akikumo. Taking another sip of my tea, I thought about what Inari had tasked me with. I did not want to take a human with me on this journey, but it didn’t appear as if I had a choice.
I just hoped that my terrible luck with humans wouldn’t complicate the mission any further.
Chapter Six
August 1472 (Muromachi Period)—Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
TIME PASSED SINCE I first started traveling with Akikumo. We spent many years in the Hira Mountains, learning of different plants and of different yokai that live in the region. We even ventured to Mount Kurama once, but the yokai denied me entrance into the main estate since I was a girl. Apparently they didn’t allow any women on the top of the mountain. I found the law to be unfair but waited with a few of the outcast tengu who lived at the base of the mountain. Since they’d lost their wings, they couldn’t ascend the mountain. I pitied them, as they weren’t allowed back into their homes where all their family lived. Then again, I had lost my home and family as well. Usually, when Akikumo had business in some of the human cities, I found myself in the wilderness and hoped that no human came across me. I hid somewhere, scared, as I feared he might abandon me for good. But hours later he would come and find me, and we would be on our merry way with some yummy snacks. I didn’t want to go back into a human settlement, as I worried what they might do to me if I lost control of my human disguise. No, waiting was much easier.
In the past decade, we ventured all the way to south Japan. I found the summers to be much warmer, which I didn’t mind as that meant I didn’t need to sleep with a blanket and could enjoy the stars at night. Winter was also a lot less dramatic, unless we found ourselves in the mountains. There seemed to be snow constantly. I stayed in my fox form during those times to keep warm.
The ocean now lay before us and I jumped up and down. Nothing beat cooling off in the ocean. I started to run down the hill toward the water when Akikumo placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Ketsue-chan, not so fast. I have a proposal for you.”
Turning, I found the tall okami smiling as he looked down at me with his golden eyes. Akikumo’s white hair glistened in the sun, matching his kimono. The top of my head now came up to his chest, as I was a lot taller than I had been a century ago, and I was almost old enough to gain my second tail. I couldn’t wait to be that much closer to becoming a full adult kitsune.
“What is it?” I asked, my tail twitching back and forth. We were almost to the ocean, and he decided now was the best time to talk? What was with him?
“We are almost to Hakata, and I need to take care of some business in the town.”
“Didn’t you visit that town a few years back?”
Akikumo nodded. “I did, but I need to visit again, by orders of Okuninushi-sama. You remember going to Izumo not too long ago, yes?”
“I do. So you want me to stay at the beach while you go to Hakata?” I asked, a little excited to go play in the water.
He shook his head. “Not quite. I want you to accompany me. Your reward for going into the humans’ domain will be going to the beach.”
I frowned. There was no way I would do that. “But Aki-chan!”
Akikumo knelt down to my level. “Ketsue-chan, you need to learn to forgive the humans and work with them. They aren’t all bad. And I will be there, so I promise nothing will happen.”
My ears lowered. “No.”
“Ketsueki...”
I pouted. “I don’t want to interact with humans. They aren’t worth the trouble. They don’t care about anyone but themselves and always fight. I can live without interacting with one ever again.”
Akikumo let out a breath. “Fine. I guess I will eat that aburaage all by myself.”
My ears perked back up. “Aburaage?”
He nodded. “With natto in the middle.”
Drool ran down the side of my lip. It had been a while since we had aburaage. The thought that such a delicacy would be available there in a human town surprised me. Usually we only found it in yokai settlements between worlds.
Glancing down at my feet, I whispered, “Well, I mean, if humans can make that food we yokai love, I guess they might be all right.”
He laughed. “That’s what I thought you would say. Now, should we head to the town?”
I nodded and grabbed his hand as we made our way down the hill. The sea breeze gently caressed my face and played with my hair. The air tasted salty on this summer day, and I could hear birds chirping in the distance. I was thankful no storms were apparent on the horizon as then it wouldn’t be as much fun to play in the water.
The town lay in the distance, and Akikumo stopped before we reached the road.
“Now, do you remember how to stay in your human form?”
I nodded and focused on making my ears and tail disappear. Nothing was happening. I looked up at him, eyes wide. “I can’t do it!”
He grabbed a leaf from a tree and placed it on my kimono. Suddenly I transformed into a human and I could keep the facade.
“How did you do that?” I asked.
“Some yokai can use leaves to help them transform—a type of sugure. Usually only the younger ones use leaves, so when you get older, you won’t have to rely on its power as much. Right now, it’s just extra protection so you don’t lose your composure. Now, follow me and stay close. If you feel threatened, just tell me and we will leave.”
I nodded and followed Akikumo as we came upon the outskirts of the town. A few humans appeared, and I clutched at Akikumo’s white kimono, trying to hide myself. What if the leaf fell off? What if it didn’t work and I wasn’t able to stay appearing as a human and they tried to kill me again? I wasn’t ready. Why had he decided at the last minute I would do this?
Probably because he knew I would refuse.
I kept touching my head, making sure my ears were gone. I wasn’t used to it as I was in my fox form or my half-fox form most of the time. We practiced human forms occasionally, but I still felt as if I were wearing someone else’s skin. It wasn’t right.
Akikumo grabbed my hand and smiled down at me. “Everything will be all right. Don’t worry.”
We entered Hakata, and I gaped at all the people who roamed around. The town was a lot more populous than any town I had visited, although it had been a century. Did humans increase population this quickly? It seemed impossible, yet I was looking at the town with my own two eyes.
At this rate, the humans would take over all of Japan.
“Akikumo-sama, it is good to see you!” A man came up to him, wearing a gray kataginu and black hakama. He smiled, his teeth all black. I gasped a little, having not seen such a thing in a long while. Yokai never did such things to their body, yet humans were always altering and changing status. I suppose yokai had it easier in understanding the status of other yokai by their power and ki. Humans did not have that luxury.
The man bowed fully to Akikumo, and we did the same in return. After seeing his clothing and teeth, I assumed he was a daimyo. Akikumo tried to explain some of the human politics to me while we traveled, but I did
n’t listen. If I could go on without interacting with humans ever again, I would be a very happy kitsune. But that didn’t seem to be the case, as Akikumo was always interacting with humans. Why he did that, I still did not understand. Life was much simpler without them.
“I am glad you are still here, Chikashige-sama. This makes our conversation a lot easier.”
He nodded and looked down at me. “Who is this? Is she your daughter?”
I clutched Akikumo’s kimono even more and hid behind him. I didn’t like this human examining me. He might notice something was off.
“Something like that, yes. Her name is Tsuki Ketsueki.” Akikumo smiled as he turned and forced me in front of him.
The man knelt down. “Later on, how about I treat you to some mochi? I believe there is some back at my estate from a meeting I had earlier today.”
I smiled. “Really?”
He nodded. “Yes. Maybe even a red bean one is left.”
Glancing behind myself, I made sure my tail was still not visible as that was usually when it betrayed my excitement. There was nothing there.
Akikumo placed his hand on my shoulder as the man stood up. “She loves her mochi. I also promised her some aburaage later today.”
“I can have some made for her straightaway.” Chikashige patted my head. “Especially for a cute child like yours.”
I wondered why Akikumo didn’t clarify that I wasn’t his child, but I supposed it was easier this way. It would explain why I was always with him.
Chikashige’s attention turned back to Akikumo. “So, what brings you to Hakata? These are dangerous parts with the wars going on. Kyoto itself has had a war for five years now. The place is almost in ruins.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Kyoto was at war? Again? Wasn’t there war when Akikumo and I first met? What was with humans—these creatures that had such short lifespans? Why did they waste it with war?