“If it wasn’t for him, Daiki, Jun, Hiro and Captain Sadao would be here.” Masayoshi spat on the ground. He was a round barrel-chested man, squat and with a long mustache and goatee. Masayoshi was a man you wanted beside you in a fight, but he had never learned the art of holding his tongue.
His companions nodded in agreement anyway. The men had no love for the young lord. Lord Hikaru thought he was better than them, and he mocked the Yokai. A foolish man did not fear Yokai; they were cruel, vicious and petty. If you did not pay the right favors and dishonor them, they might curse you and your family for three generations. Just thinking of those red gleaming eyes and the tusks as long as his arm, he felt lucky to have gotten away with his life. He pulled out his lucky talisman from beneath his shirt and gave it a rub. The men passed around a jug of warm sake and refilled their cups. The more they drank, the rosier their cheeks and the looser their tongues became.
“How can we serve him?” said Osamu. He tossed back his sake. “Now his brother, Lord Hotaru, is a man I would gladly die for.”
Dangerous words. Rokuro took a drink, the liquid burning a trail of fire down his throat. It dulled the edges of his pain but did not take it away. His men, his brothers, nodded their heads in agreement with Osamu’s drunken ramblings. He knew he needed to still their tongues. If the wrong ear heard them, they’d all be brought before Lord Kaedemori for treason. Then he thought of Jun. His younger brother in blood and recently by the blade. He had been all of seventeen, as green as they came. But talented with a sword, more talented than Rokuro, and loyal to a fault. He had been so proud when Jun had joined the royal guard.
When the boar had come charging at Rokuro, he had seen his death in those red eyes. Lord Hikaru had mocked the Yokai and they had come to teach him a lesson, but while that coward fled, Rokuro stayed to fight. It should have been Rokuro who took that tusk to the gut, but Jun jumped in front of him at the last minute. He could see his face clearly: young innocence shocked as the tusk went through him. The boar pulled back and tossed him like a rag doll, only to continue chasing the lord. Rokuro had held Jun in his arms as he died, too young to die in such an awful way, blood frothing on his lips as his insides filled up with it.
The jug came back around to him, and Rokuro took a swig straight from the source. Then he slammed down the jug and stood up. His men, his brothers, stared up at him, a mixture of shock and confusion on their faces.
“Lord Hotaru should inherit. Lord Hikaru is not fit to be elder.”
Silence fell. It was one thing to grumble and complain, but he was skirting treason. One more toe and his life could be at stake. The men wanted this, but they feared to take it. They looked anywhere but at him. But how many more men would die? Could he with good conscious let Lord Hikaru lead them to ruin? He knew this was the right path as if divine intervention was guiding him. Jun. Daiki. Hiro. Sadao. They should not have died in vain. They had not even found Daiki’s, Hiro’s and Sadao’s bodies; their spirits would never be able to rest until he got vengeance.
“If only!” Hisoka laughed, giving him a chance to back down and save face.
But he had made up his mind. “We have a chance to do what is right for the clan. Lord Hikaru has gone out in the night, when the Yokai reign. He has angered them, so we should leave him to their mercy.”
Silence followed this proclamation, but this time they looked at him, hopeful but wary. Turn back now, pretend you were drunk, stop this before it’s too late.
“Are you saying we should follow after him and…” said Takeshi.
Rokuro clenched his hands into fists. He would give anything to follow him and wring his neck, watch the light fade from his eyes. Perhaps he had drunk too much and gotten ahead of himself. It was not too late to laugh it off as a joke. Then he thought of Jun dying in his arms and he knew there was only one choice.
“Let the Kami judge him,” he said, looking from man to man. “You saw how he disrespected the guardian’s forest. How he laughed at the idea of the Yokai. They will not stand it, and he will learn what it means to mock the gods.”
The men shifted in their seats, glancing from the corner of their eyes at one another.
“And if the Kami spare him?” asked Shinji.
“Did any of you see the young lord leave this evening?” Rokuro replied, arms folded over his chest as he let his message sink in. He will never step foot within this palace again.
They murmured insubstantial words to one another, filling the silence. Rokuro did not take his eyes off them, though their gazes flickered to the guards at the gate, to the men on the wall, fearing they’d heard their devious plotting.
“It’s time to close the gates, the night is closing in.”
Osamu opened his mouth, prepared to challenge or correct, but then realization dawned on his face and he lowered his head as he said, “If a man chooses to face down the monsters that lurk in the night, then that’s no business of ours.”
“And what do we tell those on duty?” Shinji asked. Of all the men, he still held reservations, Rokuro could see it in his eyes. If anyone broke their silence, it would be him.
A grin spread across Rokuro’s face. “The guards will be changing soon. When the fresh guards come on duty, make sure to tell them that an impostor has been seen. Anyone coming to the gate claiming to be Lord Hikaru should be sent away. If he persists, they have leave to use all necessary force.”
Shinji stared at him. An intelligent man, but faithful to the clan above all else. If I am tried for treason, I bring you with me. Slowly, Shinji bowed his head, conceding to his lieutenant’s command. The others rose together, and one by one they went to do as they were bid, bound together by their secret. When Rokuro was alone once more, he pulled his lucky charm out and squeezed it hard enough to bite into his flesh.
Hikaru started out at a trot, but once he was down the hill a ways from the palace and the darkness swallowed him, he took off at a clipped pace. The hill on which the palace sat lent itself to panoramic views during the day. With the daylight dying, he could see little beyond the stars reflected in the paddy fields that surrounded the palace. He rode along fields, skirting farmhouses and avoiding the populated areas. He had no particular destination in mind, he just wanted to put space between himself and the palace. He needed room to think. His entire life had been planned out for him, from the moment of his birth, but now that everything was set in motion, he could not help but take what little rebellions he could manage.
He arrived at the forest edge. It was miles from the palace. The moon, a mere sliver against the inky black sky, gave poor light. He knew he had been gone too long, and his absence would be noted. I should not let Hotaru’s taunts goad me into recklessness. But that wasn’t all of it, not really. He was curious. Had the boar really been as big as he remembered? Did that woman really have fox ears and a tail? And where had she gone when she disappeared?
He dismounted and walked along the edge of the forest. He held onto the reins of his mount and his horse trailed after him. The trees were spaced farther apart here. The pale sliver of light cast deep shadows between the trees. The woods creaked and moaned as the wind rustled through the branches. He dared not go further. He thought he had seen a pair of eyes gleaming in the shadows, but it may have been his imagination. It’s just a forest, I was foolish to even doubt it was anything other than that.
He listened to the song of the night birds and the rustle of wind for a few more minutes. When he turned to leave, he found a fox sitting in the middle of the pathway, its tail wrapped around its lower half. It cannot be. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, the fox was gone and in its place a woman stood.
Hikaru rubbed his eyes in disbelief. But the image did not alter. The woman was young, close to his own age, wearing a golden kimono with a pattern of crimson maple leaves. The maple leaf pattern clustered on her shoulders and cascaded down her sleeves and along the front panels of her kimono. She stood absolutely still in the center of the road. Her entire
body seemed clenched tight as if the slightest twitch of muscle would send her skittering away like a wild animal. She stared at Hikaru with a confused expression. Perhaps it was the moonlight, or maybe he was losing his mind. But she looked just like the woman with the fox ears.
5
Rin traveled along a human road, her ears twisting to and fro and her senses spread out looking for other Yokai. The night was silent and no one pursued her. It seemed strange; knowing Akio, he should have sent an army after her. Why did he let me go? She hated using human roads because even those posed their own dangers. The stink of humans and the scent of earth and water invaded her nostrils, tugging at her animal instincts to run and hide, but the forest was no safer than the road. She disguised herself as a fox to travel. If she crossed paths with a human, they would see a fox unless they had spiritual powers, like that young man. There was something different about him, though I cannot quite place what it was.
Wet earth squished beneath her paws as she wandered. She glanced over her shoulder. Even with her defenses up, every shadow and chirp of the night insects made her jump. She had not thought Akio would know her. She was of minor standing in the Dragon’s court. Well, she had been, but how could rumors have spread this far? How can I return home now? My reputation may never recover. A twig snapped behind her and Rin jumped, the hair on her back rising up. She peered into the dark, teeth bared. The trees swayed in the breeze, but apart from that, nothing else moved. Her spiritual powers were limited in this form, but if anyone was following her, she should have been able to sense them. Though her senses told her she was alone, she could not shake the feeling she was being followed.
She was better equipped to fight in her true form, but there were rules against doing so close to humans. Her muscles constricted, ready to spring. She sniffed the wind; the hundreds of human scents on the road had disguised a fresh scent. A quick probe indicated whoever was approaching was human. She relaxed. Along with the scent of human, there was another musk, one she could not place. Whoever it was, they were drawing closer. Rin’s golden eyes pierced the darkness. In this shape, her vision was more acute and the dark did not hamper her vision. A bent figure shuffled in Rin’s direction. The scent she had smelled before intensified and the musky smell disappeared, replaced by a rich tangy scent. The scent was intoxicating and her mouth watered.
An old woman hobbled over, leaning heavily on a cane. Her other hand, balled into a fist, clutched a parcel. Rin’s eyes followed the parcel. The smell was coming from there. She knew that she should flee, but her feet would not listen to reason. Instead she crept closer to the old woman, who had stopped a few feet away from her. The old woman opened her crabbed hand and pulled back the covering on the parcel, revealing a brown square. It was food, Rin knew that much. Human food had never appealed to her, but this was different. She crawled closer, her belly nearly touching the ground. She sniffed the old woman’s hand. It does not smell like poison. The old woman smiled; she seemed harmless enough. The wrinkles on her face reminded Rin of folds of fabric.
“Take it,” the woman said. Her voice was thin and reedy. “I know you want it.”
The spell the scent of the food had wound around her was irresistible. She snapped up the food. It was soft, almost creamy, with a crunchy exterior. It was divine. She had never tasted anything so good, even in the courts of the highest Kami.
Rin swallowed her food and looked to the old woman for more. The old woman was still smiling, but it was not the kindly expression from before, but a wicked, triumphant grin. How could I trust a human? She turned to run and collided with an invisible wall. Where her skin touched it, it prickled with energy and sparked as if she had brushed against a flame. It’s a barrier. Panicked, she let her animal instincts take over and she turned, only to crash against another wall. The energy erupted from the barrier and singed her fur. It wasn’t just a barrier but one made of spiritual energy. The old woman had penned Rin in on all sides; a barrier made of spiritual energy was one of the only things that could hold a Yokai. She looked down at the ground and a circle glowed a faint blue; unfamiliar markings had been traced in the soil. Rin growled at the old woman. Now Akio is using humans?
“There is no need to pretend any longer, Kitsune,” the old woman said. “I saw you as you emerged from the forest. Show me your true face, I command it.”
This woman was ignorant of her power if she thought a simple binding spell would force her to reveal her true form, so instead she shifted. Light flashed around Rin, a burning gold and orange. A flurry of leaves settled around Rin before they dissipated like raindrops on the ground. Hands on hips, Rin stood before the woman. Humans, she had found, were more willing to speak when faced with a humanlike face. Rin’s coppery red hair fell down to her waist, and her head crowned by fox ears was anything but human. Rin twitched her foxtail back and forth as she regarded the human.
“You have captured me, human, and as a reward I will grant you one wish,” she said. It was difficult not to snicker. Humans were too easy to manipulate. If she was working for Akio, she would be easy enough to bribe.
The old woman rubbed her hands together. “How fortunate am I to find a Kitsune wandering about at night. Why did you come here?”
“Is that your wish; to answer your question? I can only grant you one.”
The old woman shook her head. In the dim moonlight Rin noticed a crescent-shaped scar on her right cheek. Her long white hair, tied in a single tail, draped down her back and swung back and forth as she shook her head. “No. No. It does not matter, I have won a great prize. I will not squander it.” She paced in front of Rin with her hands folded behind her back.
“I can give you gold, power, or perhaps there is a man you desire?” Rin said. Humans, in Rin’s experience, had basic wants. From time to time, she allowed herself to be captured just to play tricks on them. Their petty needs amused her. She had never cared about their well-being until that young man.
The woman turned to face Rin, her lips spread wide in a ghastly grin. Under the pale moonlight, her face was cast in shadow, exaggerating her smile and making it look too wide, her teeth too large for her mouth. And the crevices around her mouth and eyes looked like dark gashes, as if she had been carved out of darkness.
“I think it is you who desires the love of a man,” the old woman said.
The hairs along the back of Rin’s neck prickled. Rin laughed off the old woman’s comments and tossed her head back. “I have no desire for mortal men.”
“What about the Great Dragon? It is him that you desire, am I correct?”
Rin took an unconscious step backwards. Energy from the barrier leapt out at her, burning her skin. She shifted away and brushed a hand unconsciously against her tender flesh. “You finding me was no mere accident, was it?” Rin asked.
The old woman laughed again, throwing her head back in a parody of what Rin had just done. Her voice echoed and surrounded Rin inside her tiny prison, as if there were thousands of the woman closing in, their laughter cutting through her. “I know much about you, Rinmiyu.”
Hearing her full name from a mortal’s lips was like a bucket of ice dropped over her. A Yokai’s name meant power over them, it meant she was bound to do this woman’s bidding. How had she learned her name? The words swirled around her, choking her with invisible bonds.
“How do you know my name?” Rin choked out. Rin had not spoken her own given name in centuries. Even Akio would not have known it.
“I have been following you for a long time. I know much about you, Rinmiyu.” She used Rin’s name to taunt her.
Rin laughed; she would not show the old woman her fear. “I think you are bluffing, old woman.”
The old woman continued. “You can believe what you will. As for me, I have been waiting a very long time for this moment and I wish to make a bargain with you.”
“You should know never to make a bargain with a Yokai. Especially a Kitsune, we do not play by the rules.” Rin stood up a little taller.
She could not get a good sense of the woman. She should be able to feel this woman’s spiritual energy, but all she felt was an empty void. She is very powerful if she can suppress her spiritual energy that way.
“I am willing to take the risk.”
Rin had to fight the urge to rub her hands together in evil glee. The old woman may have trapped her, and knew her name, but humanity’s critical flaw was that they were too arrogant for their own good. This woman was no different. She may have gotten Rin’s name, but she must not know how to use it or she would not try to bargain.
“Then give me your terms, and I will see if I am willing to agree.”
The old woman clapped her hands together. “You desire the Dragon, but as you are now, you cannot hope to win his favor. You are a minor Yokai, and without the power and strength of a greater Yokai, you cannot hope to compete on his level.”
Rin rolled her eyes. She may as well tell me to transform into a fish. That is not possible. “Are you claiming to have the power to make me a greater Yokai?”
“I do not have that power, but I can lead you to a place where power runs like rivers and any creature can become as powerful as the first Eight Kami.”
Rin laughed long and hard. There was no such place, nor any power on this earth that could do such a thing. This woman was mad and misguided. I should transform into my true form and snap her in half like a twig. I am tired of playing games.
“You doubt me, Rinmiyu? I have your name and I can bind you to my will.”
Rin transformed; her hands grew into paws covered in white fur. Her tail extended and more burst from the base of her spine. Each one was tipped with licking flames. She loomed over the woman, though still confined within the barrier. Even trapped, Rin was an imposing sight.
Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling Page 3