by C. J. Anaya
Aiko looked at the ground. “Are you aware that your father has two nekomata in his employ?”
Only two? There had to be more than that, but I thought it better to play dumb and see what other information she might consider sharing.
“You’re lying. The emperor would never align himself with one of the demon god’s minions. He is attempting to do what Amatsu has coveted for thousands of years. He is the demon god’s competition, not his ally.”
“He isn’t aware that they are nekomata. You forget these creatures can take on the form of any human they desire. Even those of the highest ranking soldier in the general’s armies. I kept my eyes and ears open, mistress. I had to if I wanted to protect you. Fukurokuju has no idea what he’s allowed himself to become a part of.”
“What else have you discovered?” Akane said, lowering her sword to the ground.
“There are factions in the underworld. Some of Amatsu’s minions wish to take power into their own hands by killing you as swiftly as possible. Others have been sent here by Amatsu to infiltrate the emperor’s ranks in order to have access to your blood.”
“What exactly does my blood do for these nekomata?” I asked.
“It restores them to their original forms. Nekomata cannot remain in the land of the living for too long without eventually perishing. The laws of nature refuse to sustain the evil they have become. Your blood changes that. It reverses their darkness. They no longer wish to be nekomata. They no longer wish to be damned.”
“A little late for that,” Akane said.
“How is this even possible?” I asked.
“You are The Healer, Mikomi. Are you aware of how powerful your ki is? Your healing power centers on what is damaged within a person, be it body, mind or spirit. Your blood has the power to not only create kami, but to purify nekomata and fix within them what is broken.”
“Their ki,” Akane muttered. “They will go from their descended state and become whole.” I appreciated that she behaved as if this was all news to her. Aiko’s explanation of the nekomata’s restorative process was helpful.
“A different variation of ascending.” My mind whirled at the possibilities of restored nekomata from the underworld and my father’s despicable generals gaining ground and ruling all of Kagami. My father had been a pawn in the demon god’s scheme for years now, unwittingly preparing the world for the day Amatsu broke from his prison. “While this information is helpful, it still doesn’t explain why you were so willing to fall in line with my father’s plans.”
“I despise your father, and I never wanted to go along with his morbid plans, but when I refused to help him, he had one of his generals take me into the dungeons and torture me. At first, I merely laughed at his attempts. What did I have to fear as an immortal? But then he took on his true form, a nekomata, and unsheathed a weapon that had the power to end my life. I had no wish to die at the hands of a nekomata. I also knew I was your best defense against your father and any nekomata intent on hurting you. Who do you think summoned those guards to help you when those three nekomata attacked you the night of your betrothal ceremony?”
I thought back to that night and remembered the guards mentioning a maid shouting out a warning.
“I may have unwillingly aided them in stealing your blood, but it was better to play along and remain cooperative in order to protect you if and when the time came. The information I’ve gathered over the years will also help us to thwart the demon god’s plans, including his desire to eventually kidnap you when the time is right.”
“That attempt happened recently.”
“What?” Aiko stood suddenly, rushing to my side before Akane could let out a protest. Her hands ran along my arms and sides, searching for some sign of damage. Her worry rose up to choke me with its intensity.
“Aiko, they failed in their attempts, though I’d rather not go into the details.”
“I never should have left you. I knew the threat remained, but I was under the impression they would not plan an attack until your eighteenth birthday, and I thought you would join the rebels permanently before then. They must have discovered your association with Musubi, though I tried to conceal your involvement with them as best as I could.”
“Excuse me?”
“Musubi, your soul mate. The demon god wanted to keep you in the mortal realm until the very last moment in order to continue building his army, but he didn’t want you to run into your true soul mate either. If you join with Musubi, his plans will never come to fruition. Now that that plan has failed who knows what he’ll try next. You being here with Musubi so close to your ascension, well, he can’t discover your whereabouts. I sincerely hope Musubi will have sufficient strength to conceal you two. Nekomata use scent and energy signatures to track their prey.”
My mind stuttered and stopped with all of this new information. I could hardly form a coherent thought let alone contribute to the conversation.
“You knew all of this and never said anything?”
Aiko laughed. She actually laughed. “Mikomi, I have known you your entire life. I am meant to protect you. What kind of bodyguard would I be if I didn’t know all of your activities as well?”
“Why did you never mention any of this? Why didn’t you at least tell me you were a kami?”
“If I had, the demon god’s spies would have discovered my betrayal, and I would have been taken from you and possibly killed. For most of your life, Mikomi, you’ve literally been surrounded by your enemies. How would you have reacted to that knowledge if I had leveled with you?”
She made a valid point. My initial reaction would have been to run away with Saigo, with no chance of escape.
“We could have left together once you discovered the demon god’s plans,” I suggested.
“I’m a talented bodyguard, Mikomi, but even I can’t hide us from the forces of several nekomata. We needed to wait for Musubi to return to Kagami, and since you were so proactive in getting to know him, I didn’t have to break my cover right away.”
As mind boggling as Aiko’s confession had been, I went back to what I felt was the crux of the matter. “So that fake general threatened to end your life, utilizing weapons from the underworld, and the emperor assumed you just complied because you were tortured?”
Aiko let out a tired sigh. “He threatened mortals I had become close to. I think you’re familiar with how very thorough your father’s blackmail can be.”
I wanted to believe her. I wanted to know how she felt, but her emotions had returned to a black void of nothing. Her ability to block her emotions from me had increased over the last few months, but I hadn’t noticed it until recently. I was determined to find out if she truly felt ashamed or had happily gone along with my father’s plan. There were kami willing to follow my father, desiring power just as he did.
Did Aiko fall under that category?
All I had to make an informed judgment with was the history we shared. I thought back on the many nights she had stayed by my side as nightmare after debilitating nightmare wreaked havoc with my sleep and my mental health.
“What do you think?” Akane asked.
I thought back on all of the moments Aiko and I had confided in one another, sharing our hopes and dreams, planning our futures though mine seemed impossible and hers just out of reach. I couldn’t imagine that the kind of bond we had forged could be broken and recognized that Aiko had made decisions under duress.
My father excelled in gaining the advantage over whomever he wished to coerce into doing his bidding. I couldn’t fault her for wishing to protect her life. I had to believe in what I knew about her; her kindness and strength, her resolve to protect me whenever she could. I had removed her from the palace to protect her from my father, and now she was being interrogated for sedition against myself and the rebels. No matter her mistakes, I owed Aiko much more than this.
“I believe she is telling the truth.” I turned to Aiko. “I’m sorry to have put you in this position, dear
friend, but we cannot be too careful when it comes to my father and the spies he employs.”
“I understand,” Aiko stated. “Considering the activities I was involved in, I think you’re being quite merciful.”
“As do I.” Akane’s expression revealed little, but her distrust of Aiko was palpable. I wondered at it, but didn’t say anything. She had made it her life’s work to be suspicious of others considering the war she fought and the man she fought against. Better to be distrustful than too trusting, I supposed.
“How are all of these nekomata escaping from the underworld?” Akane asked.
“There have been several breaches as of late, and Mikomi’s various healings on others over the years has also slowly weakened the veil. I tell you this not to censure you, child. I know you only meant well, but the damage to the veil is extensive.”
I considered this as a huge swell of guilt rose to the surface. Katsu had warned me not to breach the veil, not to take on the role of a god in deciding who lived and who died. The consequences hadn’t been laid bare like this, but I had to accept my part in creating several gateways for the demon god’s minions to escape through. I alone was responsible for their presence in the world of the living. I felt guiltier when I realized that my choices would have remained the same if I had the opportunity to go back with the knowledge I had now. I risked much more than my own life every time I forced death to the background and saved someone who was not meant to live. I gave the demon god another foothold into my world.
My selfish wish to keep those I loved close to me hadn’t seemed so selfish at the time, but when held up against the world as a whole and all of the inhabitants in it, I realized that though I had the power over life and death, I had not used it with the wisdom and responsibility my position demanded. The truth of Katsu’s admonishments pointed the finger at all of my failings, and still I didn’t believe I could have let Saigo die, or watch my mother waste away.
I didn’t know how to fulfill my duty to the world and my duty to my heart without betraying one or the other.
If I was again forced to choose between the two, I feared I couldn’t trust myself to make the right decision.
* * *
Based on this new information we decided to release Aiko and allow her to stay with us as extra protection for myself. Despite Akane’s suspicions, I felt relieved that Aiko’s intentions had been pure. Once she was released, she enveloped me in a warm embrace filled with the same motherly affection I was accustomed to, and then she accompanied us back to the main camp where we went in search of food and familiar faces.
We found my brother and Kenji sitting around a campfire with Yao and Chan. They all stood at our approach, but I motioned them to sit and continue their meal. I no longer lived in a palace, and I didn’t consider myself much of a princess. These formalities needed to be put to a stop.
We explained Aiko’s presence and her eagerness to aid us in our ventures. After they greeted Aiko with warmth and acceptance, I sat down next to Saigo on a sturdy log and received an enthusiastic side hug he bestowed upon me.
“I thought you might sleep the day away, Mikomi. I was about to come wake you and insist that you explore this massive campsite with me.”
“Saigo, I think it a bad idea to be wandering off. These woods are not exactly what I would term harmless,” Kenji said.
“I thought all of those tales of dangerous creatures and enchanted forests were simply myths to scare us away from wandering around the forest.”
“They are, mostly, but we’re at war with the emperor,” I said. “We have no way of knowing if exploring the surrounding area could bring attention our way.”
“Not to mention the actual ferocity of any normal, hungry beast you might come across,” Yao stated with a happy grin upon his face.
I looked at him in surprise. It was pleasant to witness a personality peeking out beneath his normally stoic exterior. He gave me a tentative grin as if he were not certain that it would be acceptable to relax in front of me. My returning smile found a way to relieve him of the nervous tension he felt in my presence. I hoped that he and Chan were beginning to realize that treating me like a princess here was unwelcome, not to mention a sure-fire way to reveal my identity.
“What is on the agenda for today?” Saigo queried.
“I believe we are in need of supplies, and Akane and Musubi are forming several small parties that will be sent to nearby villages to gather those supplies,” Chan replied.
“Where is our group headed to?”
Both Yao and Chan lowered their eyes at this. The awkward uncertainty they felt alerted me to the fact that a decision had been made without me.
I addressed my remarks to Kenji in order to avoid making my guards feel as if they had to answer a question that perhaps they had been ordered not to. They would have felt torn between their duty as a rebel soldier and their loyalty to me. I didn’t wish to put them in that position.
“Am I to assume that our group will be leaving without me, Kenji?”
My tutor didn’t hesitate to answer the question. “That is correct, my dear. Musubi feels it best that you stay put under the watchful eye of Yao and Chan.” His lips quirked at my raised eyebrow, though he did his best to tamp down on the amusement he felt. “I believe he thought it best that you stay out of harm’s way.”
“Harm’s way? This is hardly a dangerous errand.” I couldn’t account for the anger I felt. Heaven knew we had more pressing matters to occupy our attention than foraging for provisions at the moment. We needed to be planning our attack on the palace as soon as possible, but I didn’t relish the thought of being left behind at the camp as if I required babysitting. I didn’t want to be parted from Musubi.
“Akane will be going as well?” My voice sounded thin and high.
Kenji shrugged. “Naturally.”
I let out a slow stream of air and jumped to my feet.
“We’ll just see about that.”
Kenji let out a delighted chuckle. “Yes, I thought we might.”
Finding Musubi proved to be more arduous than I thought. I was constantly bombarded by soldiers asking if they might help me with this or that, only too accommodating for the wife of Akane’s first in command. I found it terribly annoying, but did my best to cool my temper, though giving it free rein for the first time in an extremely long time was a tantalizing idea. I finally encountered a soldier who proved to be a help rather than an encumbrance when he directed me to a large tent toward the end of the camp.
I entered the tent with no thought as to what conversation I interrupted at that moment. I found Akane and Musubi leaning over a table with maps of varying sizes spread out for their perusal. They heatedly debated the best possible routes to take in order to avoid detection.
“If we stay within the border of the forest we will be covered by the dense foliage, giving us a perfect venue for noticing any approaching soldiers from the emperor’s armies,” Musubi said.
“I agree that this is a wiser course of action, but traveling along the forest line will take a significant amount of time. We have few precious hours at night to gather our supplies and return to camp,” Akane parried.
“And have every sentry upon the road engaging us in combat? Have you lost all sense, Akane? I have taught you better than this.”
Akane’s lips pinched in annoyance.
“We don’t have time to argue over something as simple as routes for foraging when there are other pressing matters that must be discussed with you,” she said.
“If you’re referring to that damnable gold shipment, I assure you we will get to that at a later date.”
“On the contrary, the gold shipment is the least of our worries.”
“You haven’t told him what we discussed then?” I interrupted as I approached the table. They both turned to me in surprise. Musubi’s happiness upon seeing me surged to the forefront. I held back a smug smile as I experienced the internal battle he fought to push such happiness
aside. His emotions were so much more accessible now, and I hoped it would continue.
“Not yet, though I’m glad you’re here to clue him in to the severity of our situation.”
Musubi looked from Akane to myself and then let out an exasperated sigh. “Out with it then. What news of doom and gloom do you have to impart?”
“The emperor unknowingly aligned himself with the demon god’s assassins.”
“What?” Musubi’s shock nearly exploded from his aura.
Akane and I took turns relaying the information I had discovered.
Musubi directed his next question to me. “You say you overheard this entire conversation between the nekomata and The Healer while you were in the other room attending to one of the emperor’s soldiers? Did they all simply forget that there was a woman of medicine within hearing distance?”
I knew my story was weak and flimsy, but it was the best I could do at the moment. I couldn’t very well explain that I had come by all of this information because I was the emperor’s daughter.
“The nekomata held a knife to the emperor’s neck intent upon kidnapping The Healer and taking her back to the underworld with him. Believe me, no one was thinking about a lowly woman of medicine eavesdropping in the other room.”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Musubi said, his voice laced with panic. “It’s contrary to all of the demon god’s planning. By the gods, I’ve been such a fool!”
“What do you mean his planning? What on earth are you talking about?” Akane asked.
Musubi looked at her blankly for a moment, allowing unease to settle across his features. “Nothing. I’m simply confused as to why he would have attempted to kidnap The Healer now when…when he could have taken her at any time it would seem.”
I studied his features, certain that wasn’t at all what he had meant, but unable to imagine any other explanation for his strange outburst. I let it go for now.
“Apparently he needed to have access to The Healer’s blood for as long as possible and build his army here in the world of the living.”