And perhaps she had the means to escape at her fingertips.
She reached a hand into the pocket of her shorts and touched the two crystals she had left. She’d thought them keepsakes, a reminder of her adventure, nothing more. But Shitoro had said something about using one of them to come here.
It seemed crazy, but perhaps it wasn’t. Hadn’t she been fantasizing about Earth while holding one, only to find her wish granted a moment later? She’d had no thoughts on a specific place, aside from the sea, but what if she concentrated on someplace, or maybe someone specific?
Shitoro had also mentioned one other important tidbit. He’d said the black crystal had been attuned to her mother’s power. That was how he’d been able to track her down. Though she didn’t fully understand the workings of magic, she had a rudimentary knowledge of it. She also understood, via her studies of the ancient past, that there were others like her mother – the daimao. The black crystal had been her mother’s, something she’d picked through little more than bad luck on her part. However, the other two were different in color. Perhaps that meant they’d been empowered by others.
If so, and she used them, then maybe Shitoro wouldn’t be able to find her as easily. She’d never met another daimao, had no idea what they were like. But since – to the best of her knowledge, anyway – none had ever come calling, demanding to meet her, maybe that meant they either didn’t know about her or, more importantly, didn’t care. If so, then they would surely have little interest in her whereabouts.
Yes!
Kisaki was not a stupid girl by any means, and now a plan was beginning to form in her head.
♦ ♦ ♦
“For the last time, I am not a cat.”
“I know. Even cats aren’t as big of jerks as you.”
“You truly are insolent. Why, if I had my say in matters, I would have some manners whipped into you.”
“I’d like to see you try, shorty.”
Kisaki stepped back from where the two were arguing, her hand still in her pocket touching the two crystals. The problem was, she had no idea where to start or how the crystals even worked. Were they powerful enough to lock on to an unanswered question? Or did they require something specific? If she concentrated on her father, would it be enough to work?
There was only one way to find out. She randomly picked one of the two and closed her fist around it.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Shitoro suddenly asked her.
“Um ... back to my room. I ... err ... forgot something.”
Tamiko turned to her, a look of confusion and outrage on her face. “You can’t possibly be thinking of going with this mangy little feline?”
“Mangy?!” Shitoro looked like he was about to start in again with Tamiko, something Kisaki was hoping for, but he instead stalked toward her. “And what could be of such importance on this mudball of a...” He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes opening wide as if in realization. Kisaki had a moment of fear in which she thought he’d figured out her plan, but then he said, “You didn’t dare, did you?”
“Dare what?”
“There’s no point in lying. We don’t know how you did it, but your mother knows you took the Taiyosori. You didn’t just leave it lying around in some hovel on Earth, did you? If so, you are in such...”
“What’s a Taiyosori?” Tamiko asked.
“Nothing you need concern yourself with.”
“Fine,” Kisaki said, “then I’ll ask. What is it?”
Shitoro raised a hand to the bridge of his nose and sighed. “The Taiyosori is the blade of the heavens, a weapon of utmost power. In the hands of a master, it is invincible. In yours, though, I doubt it would even cut bread. You have no idea the power you are trifling with. Why, if it fell into the wrong hands ... wait. How did you manage to take it anyway?”
“Take it? I...” It took Kisaki a moment, but then she realized what he was all in a huff about. “Are you talking about that silly ornamental sword?”
“Ornamental?” Shitoro’s face flushed so deeply it was even visible beneath his fur. “We are talking about a weapon that could cut celestial armor in half like butter, and you dare think it a mere decoration.”
“Well, who ever heard of a sword made of glass anyway? Doesn’t sound too useful to me. Besides, it’s not a sword anymore.”
“What do you mean ‘not a sword anymore’?”
Kisaki reluctantly let go of the crystal. She reached into the light jacket she wore and fished around in the inner pocket. There! For a moment, she felt a light heat from the quill, but then it was gone as her hand closed around it and pulled it out. “See? It turned into this.”
“You stole a feather?” Tamiko asked.
“It wasn’t a feather at the time.”
Shitoro stepped over and glared up at her. “Are you seriously trying to tell me that the Taiyosori, one of the most potent weapons in all of creation, turned into this? Listen to me, young lady. I have heard a lot of lies in my time, but this is preposterous. You go and fetch the true sword right now, or I swear I will tell your mother about your impudent...” One second he was grabbing for the quill in Kisaki’s hand, the next there came a bright blue flash of light from it, followed by a crack as if lightning had struck. Shitoro was sent flying back across the beach.
He slammed into a wooden bench, shattering it to pieces, then finally landed in the sand where he lay unmoving.
“Shitoro!”
“What the heck did you do?” Tamiko asked, her eyes wide.
“I ... don’t know.”
“C’mon, let’s go help him.”
That much they could agree on. Both of the girls took off down the beach to where Shitoro lay in a patch of scorched sand and smashed wood.
They knelt on either side of him. Kisaki was glad to see the little demon was still alive, albeit stunned by whatever had happened.
“Are you okay?” Tamiko asked as they helped him up.
After a moment, Shitoro shook his head and coughed up some dust and smoke. “Dearest gods.” He turned toward Tamiko, noticing her hand on his arm. “Let go of me, human.”
“I was just trying to help.”
“By dirtying my fur with your monkey paws?”
“Fine.” She released him and stood up. “Maybe next time you’ll land on your head and knock some sense into that thick skull of yours.”
“Are you all right, Shitoro?” Kisaki asked, helping him to his feet.
He nodded, still a little bit dazed, but then jerked his hand back when he saw she was still holding the quill. “Unbelievable.”
“What happened?”
“The Taiyosori,” he explained shakily. “It is capable of ... defending itself. It’s why none have dared to try and claim it from your mother. The sword will reject any who try to steal it.”
“But I stole ... err, borrowed it anyway.”
“Yes, I can see that,” the tiger demon replied in an annoyed tone. He began to dust himself off. “And you’re telling me nothing like that happened to you?”
“No. I mean, it felt hot at first, but I thought it was my imagination. I was ... a bit nervous after I unlocked the door and ventured into mother’s audience chamber.”
“With my key?”
Kisaki smiled sheepishly and nodded.
“Had I known I was helping to raise a thief, I might have taken greater precautions.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s just that...”
“You kept her locked up.” Tamiko stepped back in and pointed an accusing finger at him. “What did you expect?”
“What did I expect? Perhaps a proper show of respect for her elders.” He glanced back at Kisaki. “Kindly turn the Taiyosori back into a sword.”
“I don’t know how.”
“How did you manage to turn it into a mere quill to begin with?”
“I ... don’t know.”
He reached a paw toward the quill again, then
apparently thought better of it. He pulled it back and began rubbing it over his ears. “Very well. Your mother will need to figure that out, although I dare say it will, in all likelihood, put her into an even fouler mood than she is already in.”
“What are you doing?” Tamiko asked after another moment.
Shitoro stopped licking his paw. “Grooming, obviously. I have sand in my fur. I can’t very well return to my mistress looking as if I were a ragamuffin such as yourself.”
“You know what also does that? Cats.”
Shitoro narrowed his eyes and glared daggers at her, but he held his tongue and addressed Kisaki instead. “Speaking of ragamuffins, why are you dressed like that? Where are your regal robes?”
“Back in my room. When I got here, some kids were making fun of me for them. One of them pushed me and...”
“They dared lay a finger on you? Tell me where they are and I shall make certain their homes are razed to the ground for such an insult.”
“It’s fine, Shitoro. Not a big deal. I just got a little wet.”
“Well, those ruffians are lucky I wasn’t around, otherwise I’d have...”
“Clawed their furniture?” Tamiko offered.
He refused to take the bait, although Kisaki could tell it took some effort. “Kindly put the Taiyosori away for now. I would wish to avoid further ... incidents.”
For a moment, Kisaki considered ignoring him. The quill, sword, whatever it was, had given her the means to make sure he couldn’t come near her if she didn’t want him to. But then she thought better of it.
Whatever it had done to him, it had looked painful. She couldn’t be certain that next time it wouldn’t actually hurt him, not to mention any humans who might be unfortunate enough to come into contact with it. Small as Shitoro was, he was likely far more durable than most of the inhabitants of this world. She would need to be more careful with it. For now, she did as told and placed the quill back inside of her jacket.
Shitoro nodded his approval, then stepped forward and took hold of her hand. “We’re leaving now.”
She panicked and tried to pull away, but he held her fast. “Err, what about my robes?”
“Leave them.” He turned to Tamiko. “Consider them a souvenir of your time among superior beings. Try not to dirty them too badly with your stench.”
“But ... what about my father?” Kisaki asked. She reached into her pocket with her free hand and grabbed hold again of one of the crystals, pulling it out in her clenched fist. If she was going to make a run for it, it would have to be now. But first she needed to shake loose from the tenacious tiger’s grasp.
“Your father?” he asked incredulously. “He has nothing to do with this. Forget him and any other humans you have met. They are nothing to us.” Shitoro produced a black crystal from his robe and held it out. “Now, please silence yourself. The transference takes a bit of concentration to...”
Tamiko slapped it out of his hand.
“What the?! How dare you!”
“How dare I?” she replied, grabbing hold of Kisaki’s other arm and trying to pull her free. “How dare you? You claim to be her friend, her guardian, but all you do is yell at her and keep her locked up. You’re ... you’re ... not a nice person.”
“I am not a person, period,” he said, refusing to let go. “What I am is a being far older and wiser than you could ever hope to...”
“Wait,” Kisaki said. “Other humans?”
“What?” Shitoro asked.
“You said forget about my father and the other humans. Are you saying my father is a human, here on Earth?”
“No ... I ... suggested nothing of the sort. Now, if you will kindly...”
His sputtering answer, however, told Kisaki everything she needed to know. No wonder she’d always been so fascinated by Earth. Human blood ran through her veins, mixed with the divinity of her mother. It explained so much, including why she looked so human.
“I want to meet him,” she said. “I want to meet my human father, wherever he is.”
Shitoro started to say something, but she wasn’t listening. The crystal in her fist had begun to pulse violently upon her voicing her stated desire, a desire which had filled her heart with sudden longing.
A moment later, a burst of dark grey energy, almost as if a storm cloud had descended to touch the ground, enveloped the group.
When it cleared, all three of them had vanished.
17
Ichitiro’s servants cowered as he continued to rage, destroying everything he touched with violent finality.
How dare his sister allow herself to be dirtied, violated, by a lesser being, a human no less? True, bastard offspring weren’t an issue unique to Midnite. Despite their fragile stupidity, some human women could be desirable. Even Ichitiro had taken a few in his time, although more to savor their screams than anything.
What angered Ichitiro more was that Ito claimed the child was of forbidden stock. The miserable youkai said he’d smelled it upon her. If his words were to be believed, a dubious proposition at best, then Midnite had sullied herself with little better than a pig.
Her worst transgression by far, though, was that she’d rejected Ichitiro to be with such a lowly creature. Such an insult was impossible to ignore. She could have consented to be his mate, borne warrior children of great power with him. Together they could have created an army that would have served none save him. With that and the Taiyosori in his possession, he would have been unstoppable.
Instead, her actions were the equivalent of spitting in his face. Even if the child had been born of the blessed isles, a union barely tolerated among his kind, he could not suffer it to live. Its continued existence was an affront to him that could not be allowed. His brothers on the council might frown on such action, but he knew they would do little to stop him.
As for Midnite, perhaps it would serve as a lesson to her. He was not one to be trifled with, no matter by who. Neither human, youkai, nor daimao were immune to his wrath. Even the elder gods would be wise to...
Ichitiro paused in his destruction. The barest tingle of power vibrated at the base of his skull. It was his own energy, calling out to him, letting him know it had been used.
Someone had used one of his crystals, and they had done so without his blessing. Though the crystals were supposed to be for any youkai’s needs, there was an unspoken agreement amongst the many servants of the palace that those empowered by Ichitiro were to be avoided, unless told otherwise by him and him alone. He knew this agreement existed because he had fostered it, subtly encouraging the rumor that it would be wise to consider his wrath. Few had ever broken that pact, and none had openly complained about it. They knew better. Besides, there were plenty of others to choose from.
But even that fact was irrelevant. Permission to use any of the crystals had been rescinded. The ruling had stood for decades, ever since the daimao had witnessed mankind’s destructive potential.
So, not only had someone broken that rule, they had done so with Ichitiro’s power. Interesting, he considered. Who would dare such a thing?
His servants were all accounted for and none of them would dare make such a move without begging his favor first. Ito might have tried, coward that he was, but he was currently in no condition to do much of anything.
Ichitiro reached out to the errant strand of energy before it could dissipate, grabbing hold of it as if by the throat.
Incredible. Whoever had used it hadn’t been in the sending chamber after all. Someone had dared to activate one of his crystals without permission, but they had done so from Earth. From one of the blessed isles, to be exact. How had they gotten hold of it, and why were they there?
He continued to trace the fragile thread of magic, following its strands to elsewhere upon that world, to a place far away from the isles favored by the daimao.
Though Ichitiro had little interest in the world of man, as a warrior he'd studied them much as a gen
eral studies an enemy army. Whoever the transgressor was, they'd used his power to send themselves to a land with the ridiculous name of America.
♦ ♦ ♦
Ichitiro knew well the dictate Reiden had lain down regarding Earth. By all accounts, he should have reported this transgression to the court and then waited for them to contemplate an appropriate response. However, knowing about a dictate wasn’t the same as respecting or even caring about one, and Ichitiro did neither.
Once upon a time, the court acted quickly. Those who were deemed criminals met swift justice, but the eons had slowly changed the daimao. Now the celestial court was less a military tribunal and more a home to bureaucrats and their endless pontification. The issue of what to do with the humans was a prime example – decades spent debating with no resolution. In the meantime, the humans had been allowed to continue to evolve their technology.
It was more than likely that the stars would burn out before any transgressors faced punishment from the council. That would not do. Ichitiro couldn’t have cared less that they went to Earth. That was of no matter. He’d sent his servants there several times in the years since the edict was passed. He himself couldn’t go, not without the rest of the daimao being made aware, but those under his rule, using crystals that only he was attuned to, had made the journey. That way, he’d been able to gather intelligence on the humans while also swaying many of the Youkai trapped on Earth to follow his rule.
Reiden and the council had abandoned them to their own fate, leaving them the choice of being hunted, assimilated like cattle, or hiding. Ichitiro saw opportunity in their misery. Though he cared for no one save himself, he’d sent supplies, aid, and advice wherever it benefited him. For over seventy of their years, he had been the only divine power that the youkai on Earth knew. As a result, he now had agents and assassins residing in all of the humans’ many lands.
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