“You could show some respect for the kami, you are a temple guardian after all.” She quirked a brow at him.
“I have nothing but respect for the kami.”
She rolled her eyes and looked away.
“Shall we?” Tomoe addressed Akane, keeping her back to Shin.
“What’s next?” Shin asked.
Tomoe headed for the exit and Akane followed after her. Being excluded was new and painful. He was a pack animal by nature, and being ignored by another of his kind stung. He would have thought after centuries of loneliness he would get used to it. But it never got easier.
On their way back to the dormitories, they passed by the practice yard. It was tiny in comparison to the one in Akio’s palace - large enough only for two combatants at once. It looked like it doubled as a storage yard for grain and garden tools. The only weapons were a few rusty swords lying on the ground. Priestesses sparred in a practice yard with staff and sword. As they passed by, Tomoe slowed to a stop. The longing on her face was unmistakable. Akane placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder and with one last, lingering look she kept walking. When Tomoe looked away, her eyes were lifeless.
The remainder of the day was the longest of Shin’s life. The pair continued to ignore him, despite multiple attempts. After night prayers, not to be mistaken for morning and afternoon prayers, Akane deposited the girl back in her room. Shin remained outside while Akane dressed her in her night clothes. Human lives were so fleeting, it seemed a shame to waste it with ritual and prayer. Even the kami didn’t spend this much time in prayer. How had the girl not been driven mad by the tedium of it all?
He leaned against the wall as Akane came out and shut the door. “Did I pass?” he asked her.
With her face to the door, she took a long breath, then shot him a dirty look. “Hardly. I just wanted to see if the holy prayers would burn you.”
Shin smirked. It would take more than one girl’s half-hearted prayers to hurt him. But he wasn’t going to tell her that.
“There’s always tomorrow.”
She scoffed. Then with a quick pivot of her foot, she strode down the hall. She wasn’t going to make this easy, was she?
As he was on his way to the dormitories, something darted by, just at the edge of his periphery. He tilted his head to the side. The human eye wouldn’t have noticed the figure crouched in the shadows. The girl, Tomoe, looked both ways. She’d noticed him lingering and froze in place.
He turned his back to her and whistled to himself as he strolled in the opposite direction. Once he was around the corner of a building, he hid himself and waited. After a few heartbeats, she bolted across an open courtyard and hid in the shadows of another building. After a quick glance, she scurried once more out of sight toward the practice yard. He smiled to himself.
In the practice yard, Tomoe and another girl conferred with furtive glances. The second girl clutched a wooden blade.
“Ready?” Tomoe asked her.
The girl looked around for the hundredth time in a few seconds before nodding slowly.
They took their positions, bowed to each other and then their bout began. Circling one another, their weapons poised, they both hesitated to go on the offensive. It was a lack of confidence in one and stubbornness in the other that held them back. Tomoe lunged forward, while the other girl leaped out of the way.
Shin leaned back against the wall, watching their play, hidden from view. It seemed Tomoe was not the ideal kamigakari she pretended to be.
She lunged again. Her expression was fierce and determined. Like an arrow released from its bowstring, she struck her opponent. The shy girl blocked, but it was sloppy. Her wooden sword slipped and struck Tomoe on her hand.
Tomoe cried out and dropped her sword, waving her injured hand and blowing on her fingers.
“Oh, Tomoe, I’m so sorry. Are you all right? I knew this was a bad idea,” the second girl fretted, looking around.
“It’s not that bad. I can keep practicing.” Tomoe clenched and unclenched her fingers.
“I don’t think we should. If the head priestess finds out—”
“I’ve told you, she won’t.” Tomoe sounded confident but even from a distance he could see the uncertainty in her gaze.
“But I hurt you! What if it scars and you cannot accept the kami’s spirit?”
Tomoe rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. I’m better already.”
The girl wrung her hands together, looking everywhere but at Tomoe. “But next time—”
“I don’t know how you think you’re going to hurt me when you refuse to even fight me properly!” Tomoe threw her hands up in exasperation.
“I’m sorry,” the girl said to the ground. “I don’t think we should do this anymore.” She dropped her sword and bolted away.
Tomoe made a half-hearted attempt to chase her before turning and kicking the fallen sword.
“Fine! I don’t need you,” she shouted after the girl. After picking up the sword, she assumed a fighting stance and swung the blade in a wide sloppy arch.
It was painful to watch. He couldn’t just stand by. Shin stepped forward. Tomoe was halfway through some complicated spin when she noticed him. She attempted to hide the sword behind the folds of her hakama.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, scooting away as he came closer.
“I came to practice my swordplay. It helps me sleep.” He picked up a wooden blade and tossed it in his hand before doing a series of thrusts and parries against an invisible enemy. Tomoe watched with her mouth hanging open.
“Would you want to practice with me?” he asked her.
She eyed him up and down. “Did Akane send you?”
“No, I don’t think she really likes me,” he said in a conspiratorial whisper.
Tomoe laughed. “No, not really.”
In truth this was the most exciting thing that had happened to him all day. He was certain Akane would be livid if she found out. Consider it revenge for ignoring him all day. But out loud he said, “So how about it, want to spar?”
Her eyes were wide and eager. After one quick glance around, she removed the practice sword from behind her back with a sheepish look.
They took their positions and bowed to one another. Her skill was as he would expect, but she had good reflexes and was quick on her feet. There was no way to fight her and not hold back. If he fought her at his full strength, he would surely hurt her. But he knew she wanted to be challenged, and she was never going to learn if she wasn’t.
He kept her on her toes, spinning and running to dodge his attacks. What he hadn’t accounted for was her lack of stamina. At first she was doing great; she could dodge most of his attacks, and she landed a few of her own. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and her hair was plastered to her skin.
Shin thrust forward, a strike that should have been easy enough to avoid, but she didn’t get out of the way in time and he struck her hard in the gut. Tomoe doubled over and fell to her knees. In an instant, he dropped his sword and rushed to her side.
“I’m so sorry!” he said, putting his arm around her as she heaved for breath. He’d knocked the wind out of her.
“Get away from her!” Akane screamed as she ran toward them. She grabbed Shin by the shoulder, tossing him aside. Shin fell onto his back.
“I’m fine,” Tomoe rasped.
“What were you doing?” Akane said as she pulled up Tomoe’s haori to reveal a red lump on her stomach. It would be a bruise by the morning. Akane’s hands hovered over the injury.
“We were just practicing.” Tomoe winced as she tried to readjust.
“What were you even doing out of bed?”
“I just wanted to learn how to sword fight. What if the yokai attack the temple? I should be able to defend myself.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
“You can’t always be here.”
Akane rested her hand on the girl’s head. It was surprisingly tender. He’d thought her rather cold and unfe
eling, but clearly she cared for the girl.
Tomoe pulled away. “I’m not a child anymore, Akane.”
“I know that. It’s just you cannot do these things. You’re to be the kamigakari and it’s not appropriate.”
“Every moment of the day belongs to the temple. Can’t I have a moment just for me?” she asked.
“I know, but this is your destiny.”
She jumped to her feet. “I don’t care about that. I don’t want to be the kamigakari.”
“You shouldn’t think things like that. Negative thoughts lead to impurities.”
Tomoe bit her lip. “What do you care more about the kami or my happiness?”
Akane’s face blanched. She opened and closed her mouth. But no words came out. Shin hadn’t realized just how devout Akane was. Perhaps that explained her hatred of yokai. The kami considered themselves divine and superior to yokai. Perhaps her loyalty to her kami had convinced her those who did not serve the kami were evil.
Tomoe shook her head. “I knew it.” She turned and stomped off, leaving Akane standing in the middle of the practice ground.
This was his chance to comfort her. Shin took a step toward her, but as soon as he did, Akane spun to face him. She jutted a finger in his direction. “This is all your fault!” she growled.
He put his hands up in a defensive pose. “We were just practicing. She’ll heal.”
Akane came very close, her face inches from his, her fangs had descended and there was the hint of that wild, red glint in her eye. “The head priestess will hear about this.”
She spun on her heel and chased after Tomoe. When she was out of sight, Shin exhaled. He’d really messed up this time, hadn’t he? She’s never going to trust me. How can I get her back to Akio now?
6
As usual, Tomoe had locked herself in her room. Akane slammed her fist against the door. “I know you’re angry, but I’m only trying to do what’s best for you.”
There was no answer. Akane sighed and leaned her head back against the wall.
“It’s not that I don’t care. It’s just, I don’t want you to suffer Mei’s fate—” Her voice caught on the last word. Tomoe was young and she didn’t understand, yet. If the kami rejected her, she would die. There had been so many times she tried to tell her, but she didn’t have the heart to scare her. Akane took a deep breath, trying to rid the horrid visions dancing in her head. Memories of that horrible day swam to the surface. Mei had died because the kami had deemed her impure. She refused to let that happen to Tomoe. Akane took a ragged breath to calm herself lest she become overwhelmed by her own thoughts.
“I’m coming in,” Akane announced. The only way to keep her demons at bay was to keep moving.
Tomoe sat in the curve of her circular window, staring out at the dark horizon. The moon was full and from their vantage on a hilltop, the Imperial City was visible. The twinkle of firelight from the surrounding city spread out across the landscape like stars in the night sky. In the center of it all, the White Palace was a full moon on a winter’s night. White-washed walls enclosed it on all sides, but the sloping roofs of the palace buildings loomed over the walls like dark sentinels.
Over her centuries of service, the palace had gone from a single stronghold to the sprawling, and tangled monolith in the center of Akatsuki. Tomoe had come to the temple when she was a little more than five years old. She’d told Akane she had few memories of the palace, nor did she miss it. But Akane had her doubts.
“I can’t do this anymore,” Tomoe said, her stubborn stare focused on the horizon.
“And where else would you go? Back there?” Akane gestured toward the palace.
Tomoe scrunched her nose. “No. The palace would be even worse.”
They both stood in silence. Akane crossed her arms over her chest. Tomoe was destined to become the kamigakari. More than ever, the temple needed one. It had been nearly fifty years since one had ascended. The kamigakari brought peace to the region, saving the land from drought, famine, and natural disaster. The farms’ yields were becoming less and less with each passing year, and recent storms had nearly destroyed half the Imperial City. But how could she convince Tomoe to make such a sacrifice for the greater good?
“Sometimes, I think about just leaving it all behind, pick up my sword and go,” Tomoe said.
The very idea sent a wave of panic through Akane. She could see a hundred scenarios in which Tomoe was either raped, killed, or both.
“It’s not safe out there,” Akane said.
“You think I couldn’t defend myself?” she asked, her gaze accusing.
“Even against a yokai?” Akane said.
“If a yokai tried to attack me, I’d just use my ofuda and seal them.” She pulled out the long rectangle piece of paper from her sleeve with her free hand.
“It wouldn’t take them long before they realized there was no power in that ofuda.”
Tomoe crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head up. There was a blush staining her cheeks.
They often joked about how little spiritual power Tomoe had, the girl destined for the highest honor, but she was worse at incantations and songs that most acolytes knew. It was strange that her spiritual powers had not yet manifested. Tomoe pretended it didn’t bother her, but as the years went by, it went from a mere oddity to a real concern. Akane had served many initiates. But never before had she seen one get this close to her time and still be unable to master even the most basic skills.
“I’m sorry,” Akane said, as she reached for Tomoe who stood up to avoid her touch. “Let me talk to the head priestess. Perhaps we can make arrangements for you to practice with your sword.”
“Really?” Tomoe asked, her eyes large and hopeful.
It was the least she could do.
“I’ll have to ask the head priestess first, and you’ll only spar with me.”
Tomoe threw her arms around Akane’s neck and squeezed her tight. “Thank you, Akane. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
Now she just had to convince the head priestess.
As soon as Akane exited her chamber the next morning, Shinon was waiting for her.
“Morning, I hope you—”
“Let’s go,” Akane said and strode toward Tomoe’s chamber. She didn’t look to make sure she followed her. She had bigger concerns than that nuisance to worry about.
Akane was distracted during morning prayer. How was she going to present the idea of Tomoe sword fighting to the head priestess? The kamigakari’s body could not have a blemish. And fighting meant an almost certainty of injury. But Tomoe’s discontent could just as easily transform into impurities in her soul. Perhaps if they stopped the training early enough before her ascension and took every precaution to prevent scarring?
“Prayers are over,” Shinon said.
Akane snapped her gaze to her, blinking in confusion for a moment. It was then she took in the haze of smoke and the benevolent stare of the kami from her portrait on the altar. Akane shook her head.
“Time for breakfast,” Akane said to Tomoe, bustling her out of the room.
Tomoe led the way to the meal hall. She whistled softly, waving to her friends. Guilt twisted in Akane’s stomach. As Tomoe disappeared into the building, Shinon cut off Akane’s path.
“What do you want?” Akane sighed.
“I wanted to apologize for last night,” Shinon said. Her chin lowered to her chest.
“Apologizing won’t save you.” She held up her hand in a stop motion. “I’m going to tell the head priestess what you’ve done and then you’ll be out of here.”
“What’s so wrong about the girl sparring? It’s harmless.”
“You hurt her!”
“Hardly.”
“Who was hurt?” The head priestess asked from behind. Akane and Shinon jumped apart. The bent old woman looked between the two of them. Her hair was entirely white and thinning, her body was wrinkled, and her skin was stretched tight over knobby bones and covere
d in ages spots. But despite the frailties of her body, a fire remained in her gaze that demanded obedience.
Akane bowed much too deep for the circumstances. “Head Priestess, I was going to report to you—”
She held up her hand. “Come with me, we need to talk.”
Akane made a sharp gesture to Shinon to follow, and the pair of them fell in line behind the head priestess.
“Not you.” The head priestess had pointed to Shinon. “You follow Tomoe and make sure she stays on schedule.
Akane stared wide-eyed at the head priestess and wanted to argue, but the look in the old woman’s eyes was too forbidding to even attempt.
They went back to the head priestess’ chambers. She took a seat at her desk, groaning from aching joints as she did so. Akane rushed forward to help her sit, but the head priestess waved her away.
“Head Priestess, I’m sorry. I will watch Tomoe better next time.”
“I didn’t call you here to scold you, Akane,” the head priestess said mildly.
Akane clamped her mouth shut. What else could this be about?
“You’ve looked over many of kamigakari candidates, haven’t you?” the head priestess asked.
“I have.”
“And since Tomoe has been here, have you ever seen the slightest inkling of power in her?”
“No...”
“I fear she may not be fit to become the kamigakari.” The head priestess sighed and looked at a letter on her desk. The precise brush strokes were like a dark river flowing over the paper.
Akane twisted her hands together. “She just needs more time, some bloom later than others—”
“Have you seen any who show no signs at sixteen?”
Akane lowered her head. “Then what will happen to her?”
The head priestess reached across the desk to take Akane’s hand. “I am doing this for her sake as much as yours. I cannot let you go through what happened to Mei again.”
Akane winced. For a moment she was lost to memories.
The room was on fire and Mei was screaming her name. “Please, Akane. Help me!”
Okami: A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling Page 4