“Much, I knew you when you were living in holes in the ground.” She grinned.
A tight knot formed in his gut. This was dangerous. He had not realized how little he knew about his family’s history. Had this Yokai given them the success and wealth they enjoyed? “What do you want from me?”
“Nothing yet, I just wanted to introduce myself to you.” She bowed once more.
“Well, I have a few questions for you, then.”
She did not move, but her expression shifted from polite to reserved.
“What are you? How can you enter this place without being seen? How could you know my family for so long?”
“All questions that will be answered in time, young lord. For now be secure in knowing you have no challenge to your position. Your brother will not rise against you, and you shall rule for a very long time. I have seen it.”
“You have visions?”
“Something like that.” And with another bow she disappeared in a puff of smoke.
As the smoke cleared, he noticed something glimmering on the ground. Hotaru stared at the space where she had been, wondering if he was losing his mind, but then he found a staff with bells attached to the top in a triangle shape. He had seen priests and priestesses use this during exorcisms and rituals. He picked it up and they jangled slightly. A note was tied around the base of the shaker. It read Should you ever need me, ring the bells.
Hikaru stared at the wall just behind the guardian, lest he lose his nerve. The gigantic boar creature terrified him. It moved and spoke like a human, but its sharp tusks and crooked evil smiles sent a cold chill down his spine. It reminded him of the one that had attacked him and his men. He’d had no chance against that creature, and if Rin had not interfered, he would not be here. Now it was his turn to save her. Hikaru knew he could not fight it and win. His brother had taken his place as leader of the clan; there was nothing left for him. Saving Rin was all that mattered now. He would have climbed the highest mountain to reach the palace of the Eight to save her.
The guardian leaned forward. He pressed his hooves together and regarded Hikaru over them. His eyes were framed by wiry gray and brown hair that somewhat resembled eyebrows. They were tugged together in the middle, creating a V over his snout. The guardian’s beady yellow eyes danced with delight.
“It is good to see someone with some sense for once.” The guardian chuckled.
Sweat pooled in the palms of his hands, but he resisted the urge to wipe them against his thighs. He was trying to look formidable. “My good sense cannot be the only reason you wanted me,” Hikaru said.
The guardian laughed and his gut jiggled. And the half-human, half-animal creatures that surrounded him tittered along with him. Then with a sharp gesture from the boar they fell silent.
“You are arrogant; that will help you find a place in my palace. Even if you are a half-breed.” The guardian snorted in a piglike fashion.
A smile threatened to curl Hikaru’s lips, but he thought it would not be welcomed, so he held back. Judging on how the boar dressed, he wanted to be human and probably did not like to be reminded of his boar-like physique. What does he think I can do for him? That’s the real question.
“You cannot be serious about this, Akio,” Shin drawled. “What can this Hanyou possibly do for you?”
Hikaru glared at Shin, willing him silently to hold his tongue. It should have been the ideal solution for Shin. Akio would return Rin to her original form and Shin would protect her. He would protect her better than I ever could.
“We made a deal, Shin,” the guardian said. He waved a hoof as if to bat Shin away like an annoying pest. “And now I am making a deal with my new friend here.”
“And I’ve changed my mind. You’ve been trying to get your revenge against the Dragon for centuries, and now I am here, his general, begging you for a favor. What do you want? Information? I’ll give you whatever you ask if you’ll save Rin.” Shin clenched his hands into fists and his jaw snapped shut on the last word. His jaw twitched and the veins in his neck stood out.
The boar laughed. “You think you are wise, wolf, but there are things even you do not know, O master of spies.”
They glared at one another for a few moments. Rin weaved in and out of both Shin’s and Hikaru’s legs. She must have sensed the tension in the room.
“This Hanyou cannot be worth that much to you,” Shin replied.
“Oh, but he is.” The boar motioned and the doors behind them swung open. Hikaru turned around as a man strode into the chamber.
The man who had saved him from the palace strode into the room. He wore all black, and the painted characters on his forehead stood out against his pale skin and dark hair. Hikaru watched as he marched to the front of the room, where he knelt before Akio.
“Tell me, Naoki, what have you learned about the Hanyou?”
Hikaru’s stomach clenched. Naoki would reveal his ruse and with it his chance to save Rin. He had no special powers, other than being able to see Yokai.
“I have performed all the tests, Master. He does not have the gift. His ears and tail were cut when he was young; he is useless to us.”
“What!” Akio slammed a hoof onto the table, splitting it in half. The servants who had clung to him jumped backward to avoid falling debris. Only Naoki did not move. He remained with his head bowed to the ground, his back straight.
Akio glared at Hikaru, accusing him with his eyes of being inept. Then he lifted up his hand. A servant rushed forward and cleaned away spilled sake that stained his sleeve.
“Never mind, then.” He sighed. “Very well, down to business, I suppose.” He stood up amidst much grunting and heaving. He climbed down a few steps towards them. His footsteps shook the ground beneath Hikaru’s feet. As he approached, Hikaru had to crane his neck back to see his face. He was four of Shin’s size, his legs and arms the size of Hikaru’s entire body.
He stopped in front of Shin, Hikaru completely forgotten. “You are lucky, Shin, I am in a bargaining mood,” the boar said.
Shin glared at the boar. “Lucky me.”
“I want you to swear yourself unto my service. Do that and I will give this half-breed a lotus petal.” He flicked his hoof towards Hikaru.
The fox hid behind Hikaru’s legs and he could feel her trembling. Shin closed his eyes, inhaled, and when he opened them, he knelt down on the ground in front of the boar.
“I swear my loyalty, my spirit and my blood to you, Akio,” Shin said in a monotone voice.
The guardian smiled and the corners of his mouth turned up, revealing the jagged yellow teeth within. “It is done, then.” The guardian twirled his hand in the air and a collar manifested in a cloud of leaves. Akio leaned forward and clamped the collar around Shin’s neck.
Shin remained kneeling. He stared at the ground as he said, “Now give him the petal.”
“Am I not a man of my word?” the boar asked Shin. Then he turned his massive body to Hikaru.
Hikaru took a few steps back. Just being near the boar made him claustrophobic. He nearly tripped over Rin. She yipped, scurried back a few feet, and hid behind a pillar.
The boar sneered at Hikaru. “You are fortunate Shin is a self-sacrificing fool. I would have taken you anyway, truth be told. But in this instance Shin was the greater prize.”
Hikaru’s mouth felt too dry to speak; he nodded instead. The boar shook his massive head as if disgusted by Hikaru’s subservience. He patted his robe, and then dipping a hand into the folds of his kimono, he removed a satchel made of red silk. He tossed it to Hikaru, who fumbled but caught it just the same. “Feed that to her and she will return to the woman she once was.”
Hikaru pulled on the drawstrings that kept the bag closed. He poured the contents of the bag into his hand. A red crystallized petal rested in his palm. It was near transparent, shot with golden veins. Before he used it, he had to ask, “Why are you doing this, Shin? You could have been there for her.”
Shin did not look up and
he did not answer straight away. Hikaru wondered for a moment if some spell had been put upon him. But when he spoke at last, his voice was low and directed to his knees. “She needs you now more than she needs me. I can see that; she was willing to give up her life to spare you. I could not face her knowing that I sacrificed the man she loved.”
Hikaru bowed to the wolf. “Thank you, I will never forget this.” I promise, I will find a way to free you.
Shin shook his head. “There is no reason to thank me. I am not doing it for you, after all. It is for her.”
Rin peeked her head out from behind the pillar. Hikaru crouched down and offered the petal to her on the flat of his palm. She regarded him for a moment, her golden eyes blank as an animal’s. Then very slowly, she approached him. She sniffed at it at first and then, after a moment’s hesitation, snatched it out of his palm. She crunched into it and swallowed. He waited with bated breath. The transformation started with her fur; it grew pale, fading from copper to yellow then to white as snow. Markings appeared around her face and on her paws, whirling red markings that ran up and down her legs and framed her golden eyes. She grew in size as well. When she reached her full height, she was a head taller than him. She had several tails, all whipping back and forth and tipped with licking flames. Hikaru stared at her in wide-eyed wonder. She is beautiful. Rin looked around the room, her gaze falling on Hikaru. She leaned forward and nuzzled against his cheek. Her breath was warm against his skin.
She pulled back and then her gaze fell on Shin. He had not lifted his head even once. Hikaru felt the prickle of tension rolling off Rin in waves. She bared long white pointed teeth and moved a step towards the boar.
He held up his hoof to stop her. “Do not get mad at me, Rin. He and I made a deal.”
Rin switched from her Kitsune form back to a humanlike form. But unlike the Rin he had come to know, she had coppery red hair and a pair of fox ears on top of her head.
Her tail twitched back and forth as she snarled, “What deal? You cannot hold him, the Dragon’s—”
“Enough, Rin,” Shin said. His voice was tired.
She looked at him as if pained. “What have you done, you fool?” she whispered.
He turned his head so she could not see his face, only his profile.
“Let him go, Akio. I mean it, let him go, or I will tear this palace to pieces.”
Akio laughed. “Who said I was going to let any of you go? Shin traded himself to turn you back to normal. I never said I would let you go.”
27
“You cannot do this. We had a deal!” Hikaru shouted.
Rin clutched her hands into fists. She took a deep breath; flying off the handle would not help this situation. She had learned that the first time she had met the mercurial guardian.
“We don’t have a deal, remember? Shin took your place and your chance to break free,” Akio said. He yanked on the chain around Shin’s neck, slowly bringing him closer to him. Rin watched helplessly as Akio took away everything she loved. He already had Shin, would he take Hikaru away as well?
This is personal. He is trying to pay me back for before.
“What do you want from me, Akio?” she said.
Hikaru swiveled towards her, mouth agape. “No, Rin!”
“Rin!” Shin growled at the same time.
Akio wound the chain around his arm and yanked, bringing Shin to his knees. He glowered at the boar.
“What could you possibly offer me?” Akio said. Though he pretended at indifference, his black beady eyes gleamed.
“Anything you want. If you need a Kitsune, then perhaps I can help you with your problem.”
He scoffed. “Only a Hanyou with the right ability could do that.”
Rin shrugged. “Fox fire has many healing abilities. I am sure you’ve heard about the curative power of a Kitsune liver.”
“Rin, don’t.”
She would not face him, could not. She had already come this far to keep him safe, she wouldn’t lose him to Akio. Akio paced back and forth, making a great show of considering her offer. Then he came to stand before her. Her knees locked as she looked up at his massive form. She could see his leathery skin beneath the spattering of coarse dark hair.
“Even if your liver could save me, I wouldn’t take it. I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.” He laughed.
Hikaru stepped in front of her. “Then take me, just let Rin go.”
Akio rolled his eyes and then, tugging Shin along behind him, went to sit back down on the raised platform. Shin’s gaze was murderous. Rin felt the same. She should have known Akio would play games. She put her hand on Hikaru’s shoulder and held back from jumping in front of him to try to protect him from Akio. Though the gesture was appreciated, she could not imagine living knowing he was locked up here while she was free. It was bad enough Shin had made his own deal when she was not able to stop him.
“I am sure if I tried to keep you, she would come back and cause another disturbance. No, I will let you both go, but you must each pay a price,” Akio said, gloating all the while.
She stood next to Hikaru and grabbed his hand on reflex. She felt stronger beside him. She considered Akio. Any offer he made was most likely laced with poison. She held onto Hikaru, an anchor for the storm inside her heart. She looked at Shin kneeling beside the guardian, head bowed. It made her heart ache.
Hikaru looked to Rin, and when she nodded, he said, “Name your price.”
“From the Hanyou, I want a favor,” the guardian said as he leaned back on his cushion. He twirled the length of chain around his arm and the metal rattled, piercing Rin’s heart.
“And what sort of favor is that?” Hikaru asked.
He waggled a hoof at him. “I will not tell you, not yet.”
She squeezed Hikaru’s hand. “You don’t have to agree to this.”
“I accept,” Hikaru replied.
Akio grinned, revealing his crooked yellow teeth. Rin swallowed hard. Now came her price. Whatever it is, I will do it to protect him.
“And what would you have my price be?” Rin asked.
“It is simple, I want you to spend one last night with Shin.”
Shin growled and looked back at Akio. He bared his teeth; his rage was hardly contained. What is he getting at?
“How does this benefit you?” she asked.
He laughed. “When the night is through, I will ask you a question, and your answer will be your price.”
Her stomach twisted. Hikaru pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She inhaled his scent. Now that she was back to her original form, she could pick out the varying notes that made up his own unique signature. She could also sense his worry. Neither of them knew what game Akio was playing, but they could not fight their way out.
“Done,” she said.
Akio broke the chain and, with a sweep of his hoof, set Shin free. At least in part, the collar remained around his neck like a beacon highlighting his servitude to the boar.
Rin looked to Hikaru.
He nodded his head. “Go to him. I’ll meet you in the morning.”
She squeezed Hikaru’s hand one more time before running to Shin. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her head into his chest. “You idiot, why did you do this?”
“Maybe we should talk in private?” he asked. Akio grinned at them deviously. He would love for them to play out their tragic drama in front of him—she was sure. She would not give him the satisfaction.
She nodded. A servant came and escorted Hikaru out one door, and then another led Shin and Rin out another. She did not want to be parted from Hikaru. She watched as he disappeared out the opposite door. He kept his eyes locked on her until the door closed between them. I just have to hope Akio will stay true to his word and he will let us go come morning.
The doe-headed servant showed him into an adjoining room that was separated from the main audience room. Hikaru was feeling restless, so he picked at his already tattered sleeve and paced
back and forth. He listened to the receding footsteps of Shin and Rin. Worry twisted his gut; why did he get the feeling he would never see her again after tonight? The door at the back of the room slid open. He turned around to see the guardian ducking through the doorway. He clenched his hands into fists to hide his anger. It was his fault; if he had just accepted Hikaru’s offer, then Rin would have been set free.
“My lord guardian.” Hikaru bowed to the vile creature.
The boar grinned. His yellow teeth looked even more rotten up close and the stench of his breath was putrid.
“I’ve come for my favor.”
Hikaru held his breath, waiting. “And what is that?”
“I want you to see something.” He waved his hoof and a mirror appeared out of a cloud of leaves. At first he saw his own face reflected there. Seeing his image was startling. He hardly recognized himself—the dark shadows under his eyes, his torn and battered skin, and his topknot had come undone, his hair falling forward.
“You want me to see my own reflection?”
“No, look closer.”
And so Hikaru did as he was bid, he peered into the mirror. His image disappeared and in its place he saw Rin and Shin alone in a small chamber with a single bed. Does he expect them to sleep together? His gut twisted with jealousy. He had no reason to believe Rin was his. Though he had asked her to be his wife, he had never gotten her answer. Had he misinterpreted her intentions? But if she did not care for him, why sacrifice herself for him?
Shin had his back to Rin, and she seemed to be saying something, but Hikaru could not hear what they were saying. From the way she gazed at him, captured by Shin’s every word, Hikaru knew it was serious. Shin turned to face Rin, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Hikaru’s stomach sank. Has he confessed how he feels? Does she feel the same? Shin had given up everything to save Rin, how could she not love him in return? Hikaru could not turn away as Rin fell to her knees and Shin wiped away her tears. She grabbed onto Shin’s robe and buried her face into his chest. Shin wrapped his arms around her. And Hikaru could not look any longer.
Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling Page 22