by C. J. Anaya
“Who are you?” I asked.
It lifted its face to look at me. Its slanted cat eyes glowed green in the firelight, but the malevolence I was so used to seeing in eyes like theirs were absent from the dark swirling greens and greys of its orbs.
“My name is Bishamonten.”
One of the missing gods of fortune?
My memories became clearer as I recalled Tie’s words so very long ago, “We must release any of the gods of fortune he has imprisoned so they can help usurp the throne from Fukurokuju.”
“My father kept you and the other gods of fortune prisoner so none of you could claim the empire.”
The creature nodded, anger radiating off his menacing form.
“Not only did he keep us prisoner, but when he and the rebel army lost the war to Amatsu’s armies, he handed me over to the demon god as a bargaining chip to save his life.”
I shook my head. “Where are the other gods of fortune?”
“Two are dead, and I have no idea where the other three are, but I don’t think they were imprisoned with me in the underworld.”
The anger he felt as he spoke those words vibrated within me. I gritted my teeth at the power of his vengeful wrath and wished with all my heart that my empathic abilities hadn’t fully resurfaced when I woke up from my coma.
“How does your imprisonment to Amatsu benefit him?”
“I’m the god of war, Healer. I bring fortune and favor to the wars and battles I perceive to be just and true, but under Amatsu’s power, the scales of fortune are tipped in his favor.”
My jaw dropped in disbelief. “He’s completely rigging this whole good versus evil thing. How can he force you to grant fortune in favor of this war he has waged against the world and all of humanity if you are a higher god?”
His vicious growl startled me, causing me to take a step back. The eerie green fire in his eyes darkened as he drew in a few breaths to calm himself.
“Look at me, child. Do you see what I’ve become? Imprisoned in the Underworld for a thousand years and fed on nothing but the evil desires of men has tainted and corrupted me beyond anything you can imagine. Even now, I am torn between delivering you to my master,” he spit the word in disgust, “and doing what I know to be right. I am his slave, Healer, and no one but you can deliver me from this miserable state of existence. I can’t fight him until I am whole again.”
I shook my head, feeling that this stroke of luck was too good to be true. What were the odds that the god of war would be here on a mission to kidnap me in order to rescue me, himself, and all of humanity in the process?
“Why would Amatsu send you on this mission to kidnap me if you are such a flight risk?” I asked.
“I’ve played a very convincing part over the years. I’ve done some things that I’m not proud of and that I hate to admit I did enjoy at times, but I didn’t allow myself to be lost completely to the evil within the Underworld. I fought to retain the core of who I am, and I succeeded. Amatsu, however, believes me to be completely under his thrall.”
It sounded too convenient. Too perfect an answer for me to truly believe him. Then another thought hit me, and I knew I was on the right track.
“You just want me to make you whole again.”
“Of course I want that.”
“You’re missing my point, or rather, my accusation. There isn’t a single nekomata alive who doesn’t wish to be returned to normal. They want redemption even though in their hearts they don’t truly deserve it. The change they seek must come from within, but they want an immediate fix. My blood may change their outward appearance but they will always be evil.”
“Because they chose evil. I never chose this,” he hissed.
“That may be true, but how do I know for certain. How do I know you are who you say you are? You want to be restored to your godly state. They all do. You could be anybody, and once I help you, what’s to stop you from handing me over to Amatsu?”
He grabbed my shoulders and shook me roughly. “What’s to stop me from slicing you open and drinking your blood right now?”
I reacted defensively and placed my hands on his chest, ordering his body to seize and convulse. His arms shook just enough as he grunted in pain and then released me.
“So you can still inflict harm upon Amatsu’s servants. That’s good to know,” he responded after taking in a few wheezy breaths.
“Come near me again and I’ll drop you where you stand,” I threatened.
He sighed in frustration and raked his claws through his long mane. It was such a human thing to do, I nearly laughed at the way it looked when this monster did it.
“I’m sorry. I was merely trying to prove a point here. Any one of us could slice you open and take your blood without a second thought.”
“Then why don’t you?”
“One, because drinking it is only half of the equation. The other half must be performed in Kagami, and I’m worried you may not have the power necessary to perform the restoration if your bond is torn between Amatsu and Tie.”
“I’m not bonded to Amatsu,” I forcefully denied. “Stop saying that.”
“Second, we’ve all been commanded to keep you safe. If any harm comes to you then we will be punished.” He sighed again and continued speaking, “I was Victor’s mentor for thousands of years. If anyone can prove the truthfulness of my words, prove that I am who I say I am, it is Victor. Let me help you escape. Let me join you and your cause. I saved your loved one’s lives just now. Tie will have already taken control of the plane and is most likely finding a nearby island to land on so your group can make plans to come looking for you.”
An overpowering wave of relief enveloped me and nearly caused me to sink to the ground, hoping that Tie really had been able to take control of the plane before it crashed.
“We don’t need to escape then. Tie can sense my energy and will be able to locate me here just fine.”
“No, you do not understand, Healer. Surrounded by so many of Amatsu’s minions, your energy is masked. You might as well be dwelling in the Underworld at this very moment because as long as we are surrounded by six other nekomata who are using their own twisted ki to mask your presence, your soul mate will never find you. We must escape, tonight.”
“Why?” I whispered.
“Because we are being picked up by helicopter by another group of nekomata tomorrow morning. They will take us directly to the ley lines we must cross in order to enter kagami, and once that happens we will never escape. You’ll belong to Amatsu forever.”
“Are you going to tie the prisoner up, Bishu, or simply talk her to death?” yelled one of the nekomata sitting round the fire several yards away.
“Bishu?” I asked.
He grimaced in embarrassment. “I tire of these lesser, degenerate kami’s disrespect.” He roughly grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the fire.
“We escape tonight,” he muttered under his breath. “If we do not, we’ll not get another chance.”
I considered my options and realized that his plan was the only one that made any sense, providing he was actually telling me the truth. If Tie couldn’t find me, then we had to get away from Amatsu’s minions and their influence all by ourselves, which meant I was going to have to let this nekomata who claimed to be one of the lost gods of fortune come with me.
Not ideal, but at this point, what did I really have to lose?
Bishu’s plan was simple. Since the rest of my captors still thought they were immune to my powers, I could easily cause a few heart attacks before the rest of them discovered what my cohort in crime and I were trying to accomplish.
I took full advantage of the fire raging in the center of the camp. I needed warmth and a few moments of clarity before we attempted what I considered to be possible suicide. There were six of them, for heaven’s sake.
Bishu kept me tucked next to him on a log in front of the fire while the others ate their gamey meal between bouts of wrestling and strange exercises mean
t to prove their own power and dominance. After one of the nekomata choked out another in a wrestling match, I leaned over next to Bishu and said, “These cats are absolutely crazy.”
He let out a derisive snort. “Try existing with them for a thousand years. You don’t get any cultured interactions in the Underworld.”
It was so strange to sit next to a creature I had feared for so long and realize that I was now thinking of the beast as more of a person than a mindlessly evil animal. This nekomata had gone from an it to a him.
“Must be hard,” I whispered, “to keep the core of who you are when you’re surrounded by so much darkness.”
“What’s difficult is the self-loathing I feel every time I consider what I’ve become.”
I gave him a sidelong glance and was struck by the haunted expression in his eyes. These creatures had facial features that were difficult to read, but Bishu’s eyes were painfully expressive. It wouldn’t have taken any empathic abilities to sense that his soul was battle-worn and scarred from fighting to retain a small part of his goodness and godliness in the midst of the evil and chaos of the Underworld.
The fact that I could sense all of this from him, this weary, nearly hopeless sorrow that gripped his entire being, made believing him and in who he claimed to be far easier than I expected. If he truly was one of the gods of fortune, then he’d had a miserable time of it.
“You’ll need to attack the first one while the others are distracted. I’m going to call one over to guard you while I pretend to join in their fun. Once I have them distracted, you will take your guard out.”
“That still leaves you with five nekomata to handle.”
His wicked grin gave me the shivers. I just couldn’t get past his freaky long incisors.
“Then you’ll have to join in the wrestling match, I’m afraid. Try not to get yourself killed.”
“Are you serious?” I said.
He laughed and stood up.
“Kato. Come sit with the master’s pet for a moment while I teach these worthless vermin how a real warrior fights.”
This elicited a few howls and grunts from the hairy creatures as they beat their fists against their chests in anticipation of the challenge Bishu had issued.
The nekomata, Kato—it was bizarre to give these animals names even though they used to be kami—sat down beside me and exposed his sharp teeth.
“Looks as if I’ll be your keeper for a few moments, Healer. It’s been some time since I’ve sat in the presence of a beautiful woman such as yourself.”
Was this cat trying to hit on me?
Nauseating.
Though it couldn’t hurt to pretend that hairy cats with pug snouts and yellow fangs were one hundred percent desirable.
I gave him a playful grin and placed a hand on his chest, inching forward to whisper in his ear. He bent low to accommodate me. I nearly wretched at the foul stench coming off his fur.
“Careful, Kato. Beautiful women have been known to be the downfall of many powerful men.”
His eyes narrowed into slits and his long tongue flashed out to lick his snout. I nearly lost my focus at how close the beast had come to licking my lips.
Gross me out.
Before he had a chance to groom me with his tongue, I connected to his slimy ki and ordered it to terminate itself. The nekomata stiffened in surprise, but wasn’t able to cry out for help before his heart exploded and the light in his eyes dimmed and then went dark.
It was damn satisfying.
I supported his heavy frame against my side, hoping the others hadn’t picked up on what I’d just done.
I could barely pick Bishu out amongst the scuffle of nekomata since they all looked and dressed the same. The one difference being that Bishu was by far the most enormous nekomata in the group and the only one who exuded all of that crazy power despite how dark it felt. Once he came up and stood to his full height after throwing another nekomata who had tried to challenge him to the ground, I slowly eased Kato down and moved backward out of the light of the fire.
The creatures were so engrossed in their games of prowess they didn’t even notice that one of them was dead. I circled round just out of the light of the fire and dove behind a large rock next to other jagged boulders. I wasn’t sure how Bishu wanted me to approach this. What I needed was one hairy cat to break from the group and move closer toward me, but I had no idea how to communicate with Bishu to make that happen, and if he thought I was simply going to throw myself into the mix of mindless, macho cats all fighting for supremacy he was absolutely insane.
I lifted my head above the rock. My eyes widened in surprise as they locked with Bishu’s. He nodded, gave me an ugly grin and threw the nekomata he was wrestling with across the sandy beach, where it conveniently landed next to my rock. My jaw dropped in shock at the strength that move must have taken, but I hurriedly composed myself, reached my hand around the rock and latched onto the still-recovering creature’s ankle. He looked at me in surprise, but he was already dead meat at that point. I gave him a wicked smile as I watched the life drain from his features. The green glow from his aura swept around me and I inadvertently absorbed some of it since I was still connected to him. The rush of energy and power was heady, but I noted the evil taint it carried and did my best to expel it from my system.
Once the green taint was gone, I nearly reached for it again, craving the power and pleasure I’d received from its energy. I shook my head to dispel the strangeness of the moment and moved back, peeking my eyes above the rock to signal my success. Bishu nodded and threw another one in my direction, which I quickly dispatched as he began to wrestle with the remaining three nekomata in a way that took no prisoners. By the time I’d made my third kill and stood from my hiding place, Bishu was already jogging toward me, reaching me in a few moments, his long strides letting me know that running from him would never be an option. I’d be caught within seconds.
Good thing he was on my side.
I hoped.
I looked past him. In the firelight I made out three lifeless forms on the sandy ground and shivered at the awful scene.
“Commendable work, Healer. I must admit, I wasn’t sure you were up to the task.”
I quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“It is in your nature to heal. Never harm. This couldn’t have been easy for you.”
Guilt washed over me. That’s exactly how this experience should have affected me, and instead, I had enjoyed killing all three of those filthy creatures, even allowing myself to luxuriate in the feel of a nekomata’s tainted ki.
At this point I wondered if maybe there was something a little off with me. I stared at the two dead nekomata near my feet and tried to feel some type of remorse.
I felt nothing.
I didn’t think that was a good thing.
I glanced up to see Bishu’s intelligent eyes studying me.
“You make the necessary sacrifices when you must,” I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not interested in being Amatsu’s prisoner or his bride.” He continued to stare at me as I shifted from foot to foot. “Was the plan to wait here around a bunch of dead nekomata or were we going to go find my friends?”
His slanted pupils constricted as he blinked. “I think we have a few things to worry about, Healer, concerning your ki. The bond with Amatsu is starting to affect you. Your ki, even now, doesn’t feel like it did when we were on the plane.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he quickly turned around and walked back to the center of the camp. I followed, worried that what he said might be true. I hadn’t felt like myself lately, and I thought less and less about ending the lives of these nekomata. Granted, it was all in self-defense, but did I have to enjoy it so much? It didn’t seem like the right mental or emotional position to take. Where was the healthy respect I’d had for all forms of life? Where was the sorrow I felt a few weeks back when I had killed those two nekomata at Ms. Mori’s house?
G
one. I’d lived an entire lifetime between then and now, and I was battle weary and scarred. Maybe Bishu and I had more in common than either one of us realized.
He picked up a few bags filled with what I assumed were supplies and threw them over his shoulder. He then turned to me and draped a heavy, green cloak over my shoulders. It smelled like wet cat.
Not very pleasant.
“This should help stave off the cold until we can get off this island and begin looking for your friends.”
“Now that my ki isn’t being masked, why don’t we just stay on the island and wait for them to find us?”
He held out his large paw and handed me what looked like a bag of food.
“Cheetos?” I opened the bag and snagged a few, crunching them in my mouth with eager delight. “Oh, my word. Where did you get these?”
“Don’t ask. I don’t even know how old they are, but I figured you might be hungry.” He opened up his own bag of Cheetos and began scarfing them down.
He wasn’t even chewing them. More like inhaling them. I wondered if he was capable of chewing them with teeth the size of daggers.
After he licked some of the orange residue off his snout, he gave me an ugly grin—it could have been pretty, but it was all teeth—and held out his large paw again.
I studied it, noticing his claws were sheathed and placed my small hand in his, marveling at how this creature’s appendage dwarfed my own.
“We need to get off this island before the other nekomata show up tomorrow morning. They can track us on land easily enough, and I doubt your friends will be able to find us very quickly. Even if they do, they can’t land a plane here without some type of flat landing strip and there isn’t any place here that can accommodate them. There is, however, a small airport on Akun Island six miles from here. Your friends may have made an emergency landing there, so we need to head to the Akutan Island link and catch a helicopter to Akun Island.”
I gave him a pointed look.
“We’re just going to catch a helicopter in the middle of the night? Don’t you have to schedule something like that?”