"You've had enough of the sexual tension and you want to give yourself to me?" he asked.
She did not even have the energy to argue. I am going to zap him for that later. They had been walking nonstop since they left the forest. It had been a few hours since then, but it may as well have been days, for all she cared. Her hair was a matted mess, mud chafed her skin, and her blisters had blisters. She did a test sniff—she stank like monkey and swamp. She wrinkled her nose.
There was a grassy knoll topped by a tree. She stomped over towards it, sat down and leaned against the tree.
"This place is a bit public, but I like a bit of danger," the Dragon said as he loomed over her, his arms crossed over his chest.
Suzume closed her eyes and ignored him. Maybe if I close my eyes, he and all of this insanity will go away. Even if I managed to get away from him and return to the palace, no one would believe that I'm the emperor's daughter.
The grass rustled beneath his feet and she could feel the power radiating from his body as he leaned in close to her. His breath fanned across her cheek. Her powers reached out probing tendrils, testing his spiritual power with her own. He did not back down but let her power caress his. The sensation of their powers mingling raised the gooseflesh on her arms.
"I forget how weak you humans can be," he said in a husky whisper.
"That's because you're selfish and self-absorbed," Suzume replied. She kept her eyes closed. She couldn't see his smile, but she could feel his amusement in the commingling of their powers. Kaito's spiritual energy was sending off sparks like it had before; in fact, it seemed to be mixing with hers.
"You would know," he replied.
She peeked at him from one eye, wondering if she wanted to take that as the insult it clearly was.
"We'll make camp, but not here on the side of the road. We're too exposed."
"What are you afraid of? You defeated the Yokai that was hunting this area."
He frowned but did not respond. A chill crept down her spine, she wasn't sure if it was Kaito's mood or some other premonition. Whatever it was, she had the feeling they were not safe. Kichiro had said other Yokai would be looking for her. What does my mother have to do with all of this?
She looked up and he had disappeared. She sighed. Where did he go now? She glanced around in several directions.
"Where are you? This isn't funny!" She twirled in place, looking for Kaito. She inhaled sharply and wrung her hands. The night was dark and the night insects were the only sound. If we get attacked by another Yokai… A hand came down on her shoulder and Suzume screamed. A second hand grabbed her other shoulder and twisted her around.
"What are you screaming about?" Kaito asked.
Suzume looked up at Kaito and felt a hot blush stain her skin. How could I let him trick me like this?
"Nothing. A bug. A creature. Nothing," she said and ripped herself from his grasp.
He raised an eyebrow, but for once, he did not tease her. She ducked her head for a moment to regain her composure.
"Where did you go?"
"Why, did you miss me?"
"No. You said we couldn't camp here. Did you find somewhere for us to stay the night?"
He grinned. "I did, actually, and I have a bit of a surprise."
He held out his hand for her to take. She shrugged him off and followed him through the brush along the side of the road. They fought through low-hanging branches and tall grasses—or at least Suzume did; mundane things like struggling with undergrowth seemed beyond Kaito. It took a few minutes before they reached a clearing. The air was damp and smelt of sulfur.
"Is that?"
She ran towards the most glorious thing she could imagine. A group of craggy volcanic rocks created a pool of water. Steam rose from the water's surface in tendrils before dissipating in the night air. Suzume knelt down alongside the water's edge and the steam brushed against her skin like a kiss. She leaned over and dipped her hand into the warm water. The warm tingles raced up her arm and filled her in the same way the fire had. She did not see any of the red aura, but somehow she felt recharged just from the brief contact.
"A hot spring! I am saved." She sighed with delight.
"I thought you would like it." He leaned against a tree at the edge of the clearing, his arms folded over his chest.
Suzume got back to her feet, hands on her filthy hips. "What's your angle?"
"What? Can't I do something nice for my pet?" He grinned.
She decided to ignore the pet comment. "No. Not you. You're being too nice. Why?"
He uncrossed his arms and pointed. "You admit that you're my pet, then."
She scowled at him in response.
He laughed and then said, "You stink. I want to wash out that monkey stench."
She crinkled her nose at him. She hated to agree with him, but she did feel filthy and the water was calling to her. There's always a catch. Dare I risk it to have skin free of muck?
"You're not going to boil the water somehow and make me into a broth, are you?"
"I doubt it would be very filling." He smiled, but she knew a demon hid behind that smile.
Suzume looked to Kaito, then to the spring, and then back to Kaito. She just could not believe he was doing something nice for her. "Did you set this up so you could see me naked?"
He threw up his hands in defense. "There is nothing beneath those filthy clothes that I wish to see."
She folded her hands over her torso. "I'll have you know men have written poems about my body."
"Uh-huh." He strolled away. "Just hurry up and wash."
She watched him go with a suspicious glance. Once she was sure he was gone, she stripped down in a hurry. She peeled off her filthy clothes and dropped them onto the ground. Clumps of dirt came loose from the fabric and fell onto the ground with a plop. She shook her head, looking at the ruined clothes. She had no inkling how to clean them and she had no change of clothes. I'll worry about that once I'm clean.
She waded into the water. The water embraced her flesh and the gooseflesh rose on her arms and legs. She went to the center of the pond, it reached up to her middle, and she sank down to her shoulders. Dirty water swirled away from her in a murky cloud. She watched it go with a crinkled nose. Did all that dirt really come off of me?
She plugged her nose and submerged her entire body in the water. She burst through the surface and flicked her hair back, showering the rocks around the pool in water. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to untangle the knots as she looked for a place to sit. All the while she kept one ear cocked for the sound of approaching footsteps. She found a smooth stone that made a natural seat at the water's edge. She sat down and the water came up to her shoulders. She leaned back against the volcanic rock and closed her eyes. I am not coming out until I am a giant prune.
The ground beneath her feet was smooth, like a polished stone. She rubbed her toes against it absently. A twig snapped and her eyes flew open. She peered past the rising steam but saw nothing waiting in the dark. Maybe I'm being too jumpy. With her luck, the monkey's relatives would have followed her here and were intent on revenge. She decided it was best to keep her eyes open. She stared at the steam as it rose off the surface of the water. I would stay here forever if I could. No courtiers to worry about, no responsibilities and no dragons.
Her vision blurred as she let her mind wander. Images danced through the steam and she smiled groggily. It's almost like watching a dream while I am awake. The longer she watched the images, the clearer they became. She watched as a priestess attended to a shrine. She leaned forward. I know that place. Suzume recognized the carved depiction of the mountain god above the shrine where Kaito had been sealed. The priestess had her back to Suzume, but she knelt before the shrine, hands pressed together as if in prayer. A second priestess approached her and put her hand on the priestess' shoulder.
"You shouldn't come here, what if you break the seal?" the second priestess said.
The first priestess looke
d up. She was beautiful in a classic way, round face, large eyes and ebony hair worn in a single braid. "I wanted to come here once more before I leave," she said.
"We will keep him safely locked away . Do not worry."
The priestess' hand drifted down to her belly. She rubbed her swelling stomach absently. "Thank you for this," she said. "You must never tell anyone the truth. Keep him here until I return for him. Promise?"
The second priestess bowed to her. "Even if it takes a thousand lifetimes, I will protect your secret."
The image dissipated in a swirl of colors. Suzume rubbed her eyes as another scene played out before her in the steam. This one was even clearer than the first.
The priestess from the shrine walked through the swamp they had just left. She had a long staff in a holster on her back, and instead of the traditional red and white of a priestess, she wore a long haori shirt in brown over brown hakama pants. She stopped at the edge of a clearing along a large expanse of water. The water bubbled and then parted. The giant salamander emerged and the woman raised her hand to him in greeting.
"You have some nerve coming here, Priestess." The giant salamander rose up on all fours in a menacing pose. He was five times the priestess' size and could crush her with one swing of his tail.
She did not even reach for her weapon. "Do not waste your empty threats upon me. I have erected a barrier to protect me. Now listen to me speak."
The creature shifted back and forth but appeared unable to move. "Very well, why have you come here?"
"For answers," she said.
He shook his head. "Many seek but not all find."
"I know. I wanted to know about—" She hesitated and touched her stomach. "Can a human ever become a Yokai?"
He sank down into the water and blew bubbles. After a few moments he rose up again. "No, it is not possible."
She reached for her staff but hesitated. "And a child born between a human and a Yokai, will they be trapped also by this mortal coil?"
"Such a child would never be accepted by humans nor among the Yokai. It would forever be torn between two worlds. They are cursed with a long life of suffering."
"There has to be another way."
"You carry the Dragon's child, then?"
She had turned to walk away. "Yes."
"Is that why you sealed him away?"
She paused and looked the swamp creature up and down before answering, "Yes."
The vision ended and Suzume felt as if it took the breath from her lungs. She sank down into the water up to her nose and let her limbs float on the water's surface. That was Kazue, then. She was pretty. Suzume rose out of the water a bit. She knew she was carrying Kaito's child. Why seal him away?
"You have seen the vision?" a voice squeaked near her ear.
Suzume flailed in the water and splashed about, covering her naked body as best she could with her hands.
"Who's there? You pervert, you promised not to peek!"
"I do not care for your human body," the tiny voice said again. It sounded close, but when Suzume squinted towards the forest, she could not see anything.
"Where are you? Who are you?"
"I am here. I am me."
She stopped flailing around and really looked. The sound was coming from her left. She stood up and looked around.
"Down here."
Her gaze went downward to a small shrine made of four flat stones, three for the walls and one for the roof. A short string of ofuda had been tied over the opening. And sitting on a clay offering bowl was a tiny figure. Suzume sank back down into the water to conceal her naked body and then swam closer to get a better look. She leaned against the ledge and came within inches of the smallest person she had ever seen. It looked like an old woman with a long robe of bright pink and white with tiny water lotuses embroidered on it. She had her silvery hair tied up on top of her hair.
"Who are you?" Suzume asked.
"I am the keeper of the pool and the guider of visions. You were brought here to me."
Suzume narrowed her eyes. "By whom?"
"The master, the Dragon who has woken from his sleep, of course," she said with a smile. She only had two or three teeth in a gummy mouth.
I knew there had to be a catch. "Why did he bring me here?"
"He is testing you. You woke him and that could only mean you are linked to the one who sealed him."
"Meaning what? Are you saying she's my grandmother or…" She could not choke out the words she was thinking. It was too ludicrous to even consider.
The tiny old woman shrugged. "I cannot tell you; that is for you to discover."
Suzume sighed. This seemed to be a reoccurring theme. "Does this vision have something to do with my newfound powers? That was Kazue in the vision, right? The woman that sealed him? Why would she seal him because she was pregnant? Seems like a weird way of dealing with a bastard."
The old woman shook her head. "You are not prepared to understand. Nor is he; when he asks you about your visions, tell him you saw nothing. Do you understand?"
"Why? I mean, I don't exactly like doing what he wants, but I don't want to be eaten either."
"It's best that he does not know about your connection to Kazue. Much more will be revealed in time. For now wait and watch, Priestess."
The long grasses alongside the pool rustled and Suzume looked up. Kaito came strolling into view.
"Are you done yet? I'm bored."
That's why he wanted me to come here. For the vision. Well, two can play at this game. He may be a dragon, but he is a male dragon.
"Almost." She swam to the edge of the pond nearest to Kaito and pulled herself up, baring the top of her breasts glistening with water. She covered herself just enough to keep a sense of mystery. "Join me?"
She pouted her lips and ran her hands through her damp hair.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Anything strange happen?"
She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. He was not very subtle. "No, I was just thinking I owe you for saving me from those awful monkeys. Is there any way I can repay you?"
He crossed his arms over his chest. "No, there's nothing you have that I want." He stomped away.
14
Kaito stormed away. The hot spring should have exposed her. I was sure she was the one. Well, she's hiding something, that's for sure.
Since the shifter, he had been thinking about it. Kazue's reincarnation was out there, and only her reincarnation should have been able to unleash him. He knew Kazue better than he had ever known another living soul. She would only allow the seal to be broken if she was the one doing it. No mere mortal could have unleashed him. She was tied to Kazue, that he knew for sure. Whether she be her descendant or otherwise, he was going to find out and get his revenge. These feelings the fake Kazue had awakened needed to be squashed. His love for Kazue made him weak, and the sooner he closed this chapter, the sooner he could regain his kingdom. I should kill her and be done with it. I am wasting time.
He went back to the campfire he had built and plopped down on the ground, crossing his arms over his chest. He did not even need the warmth of the fire, he had done it for the priestess. She's worthless to me, mostly an annoyance, yet I continue to see to her comforts. Who's the pet here?
She shouted from a distance, her voice carrying, and in her agitation her spiritual energy flared up. It washed over him like a wave; to a hungry Yokai it would be irresistible. He did not even lift his head, no matter how much she squawked. He stared intently into the flickering flames. The fool will bring every Yokai in the area down upon us.
She stumbled through a bush nearby, night blind to the pathway a few feet away. She grumbled and complained as she pulled her robes free of the reaching branches. He thought about teasing her for being clumsy but decided against it. Getting close to her would only end poorly for both of them. If he wasn't willing to kill her, then he should leave now. She was no use to him.
"What's wrong with you? I'm a highly desirable woman. I
was going to marry my father's top general before my mother ruined it for me."
He did not respond but continued to stare at the flames. She looks nothing like Kazue, and her energy feels different too. She's loud and crude, Kazue was demure and quiet. There's no way she's Kazue's reincarnation.
"The silent brooding routine doesn't suit you," Suzume said.
Again his answer was silence. If she's not Kazue's reincarnation, how did she break her seal? While he dreamed, he had plotted and planned his revenge. He wanted to find her reincarnation, win her trust, then slowly destroy her. He wanted her to feel the betrayal he had felt when she realized he had done it all for vengeance. But just a few moments with an impostor and he had forgotten his anger and fallen under the spell of love. These feelings are a cancer that is spreading throughout my body. What do I have to do to forget her?
"If you're going to ignore me all night, then I'm going to bed."
She lay down and faced away from him. She probably expected him to chase her, to beg her forgiveness. He scoffed. Humans could be so vain.
He could not help but ask again, though he felt like a fool for doing so. "That hot spring is blessed by one of the Eight. Did you see anything special while you bathed?" he asked, his voice coaxing. She had to have seen something, a priestess with her power should have been given a vision.
"Other than you peeping? No," she replied while keeping her back turned to him. Her voice rose just a bit, and he knew she was lying.
He stared at the back of her head. Kill her now and be done. Let these memories go. But he could not move from his seat.
Without warning, he felt a probing tentacle of energy brush against his own. He looked over at the priestess, but it was not coming from her direction. He stood up, surveying their surroundings. The probe withdrew when they realized he had noticed them. He had felt from the brief connection that they were powerful, close in power to his own. What did she attract? Instead of drawing closer, they stayed in one place as if they were waiting for him. Could it be? He spread out his senses, using his own probes to find them, but when he brushed against their energy, they cloaked themselves. He growled in frustration and pushed harder, spreading his energy out further, trying to break their barrier only to find them further away, but still within reach. They were calling to him. Curious, he went in pursuit.
The Dragon Saga Box Set Page 10