From a distance the camp didn’t look like much. A wide array of yokai sat around a sad, smoking campfire. Large brutish oni, like those that had kidnapped Tomoe, sat amongst monkey, boar, and lizard yokai. The latter were the ones who she had to be worried about. Their bites were venomous.
“You weren’t planning on going in there alone, were you?”
Akane jumped and covered her mouth to stifle her surprised yelp.
Shin crouched down next to her, a grin on his face.
Her eyes darted toward the lumbering oni, who stopped in his tracks. He swiveled his head from side to side, his nostrils flaring. Akane held her breath one hand reaching for her bow and arrow. She notched an arrow and pointed it at the oni. His head was half-cocked toward them. She just needed him to turn half an inch more and she could land a shot into his eye, the only vulnerable place on him.
Then Shin leaped up from behind the rock. The oni growled and raised his club. Did he have a death wish? Akane drew back on her bow, the tips of her fingers seconds away from letting go. The oni lowered his club and he cocked his head to one side.
“What are you doing?” Akane hissed. “You’re going to get us both killed.”
Shin’s clothes had changed. He wore the red and white of a priestess and in addition to that, his hips were wider, and his waist narrower. He turned his body at an angle to the oni. He had breasts that looked more like melons stuffed inside his haori, which was bursting open in a way no self-respecting priestess would ever wear it.
“Can you help me? I’m lost.” Shin sauntered, his hips swaying seductively over toward the oni whose mouth hung open.
This couldn’t work. Oni weren’t that stupid. They’d see through his illusion in an instant. She shook her head and nocked her arrow once more.
The oni dropped his club onto the ground with a thundering crash. “What’s a little bird like you doing out here alone?” the oni cooed.
Akane’s mouth fell open. You’ve got to be kidding me.
Shin tossed his hair over his shoulder before pushing up his unrealistic sized breasts. “I was out picking wildflowers when I wandered too far from the trail.”
The oni wrapped an arm around Shin’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”
“You’re too kind,” Shin said in a sickeningly sweet voice.
Akane shrunk down behind the boulder to avoid being seen. Shin glanced at her over his shoulder and nodded toward the camp with his head. Akane’s expression was vacant as she watched the pair of them disappear. I can’t believe that actually worked.
She wasn’t sure if she should be impressed or terrified. But with Shin leading the oni away, a clear path was left open for her to get into the camp. She darted forward, keeping to the shadows and going from rock to rock until she reached the first ramshackle building. Yokai were walking about and she paused a moment to wait for another chance.
“Orders came in, we’re heading south,” said a lizard yokai in a low hiss.
“I wouldn’t mind some time along the shore,” hooted a monkey yokai.
“Don’t be a fool. We won’t have time to play. There’s work to be done,” grumbled a boar yokai.
“More humans to kill,” said the lizard, baring his pointed fangs. Green venom dripped from the tips.
His slit, yellow eyes flickered in her direction. Akane yanked her head back to hide behind the building.
“Did you see that?” the lizard yokai hissed.
Their footsteps crunched on the ground as they drew closer. Akane’s heart was slamming into her rib cage. The erratic staccato was almost audible. Her wolf stirred just beneath the surface. It was tempting. None of them were a match for her in her wolf form. But there was an equal chance she’d hurt Tomoe or other innocent humans they’d captured.
The lizard yokai’s scaly hand, tipped in hooked claws, curled around the edge of the building. She reached down deep, drawing on the core of her power where the wolf remained locked away. It lifted its head, howling in approval. She felt the power flowing through her in a wild rush. Almost immediately her nails elongated and hair sprouted all over her body.
“Let me go!” Shin shouted.
The lizard’s hand disappeared and their footsteps receded. Akane let out the breath she’d been holding. She slammed the door shut on her inner wolf. That had been too close.
Akane risked another peek. The trio surrounded Shin, who wriggled in the grasp of a monkey yokai. The oni was standing behind them, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What did I tell you about trying to defile the goods,” said the monkey yokai that was holding onto Shin.
“But this one—” the oni protested.
“Shut up and take her to the others,” the lizard said as he slapped the oni over the back of his lowered head.
The oni took possession of Shin and dragged him in between two buildings. And while all their backs were turned, Akane followed. Shin could easily free himself, though he continued to struggle against his captor. Or if he revealed himself, Akio’s men seemed to fear him. But instead he let them take him to a large cage.
It was filled with priestesses whose white haori were stained with mud, and their hair tangled and matted. The guard opened the door and tossed Shin inside with them. As he did, Akane scanned the group for Tomoe, but she couldn’t see her among the disheveled group.
The oni stomped away, leaving the cages unguarded. When the coast was clear, Akane crept over to the cage of priestesses. The girls were sitting in the mud with their heads against their knees. Akane’s eyes darted over the face of each girl, while Shin knelt beside them peering into their faces.
“She’s not here,” Shin said, while still in his ridiculous female form. It was hard to look at him.
The girls were so defeated they didn’t make a sound. Their eyes were hollow as they stared at the yokai in their midst. Akane wrapped her hands around the bars hard enough to break. Most of them wouldn’t even lift their heads.
“She’s gone. The darkness took her,” a priestess said with an oddly melodic voice.
Akane pressed herself against the bars. “You’ve seen her? Where did he take her?”
“We all go into the void,” she said before rocking back and forth.
It was pointless. This girl had lost herself to madness.
Akane leaned her head against the bars. Where did they go from here? Rage was bubbling up inside her, one that she tried so often to keep in line. She couldn’t contain it and she punched the bars, splintering them.
A few of girls scooted away, but most of them continued to stare dead-eyed forward. The beast inside her was threatening to come out. She was losing control over it. The cage she’d locked it in long ago couldn’t hold it back like it used to. Akane backed away, fearing that she would hurt them too. She clutched her chest, and a howl threatened to escape from her throat.
“We might not have found Tomoe, but we can at least set them free,” Shin said, looking around at the disheveled girls with a smile.
A few lifted their heads. Maybe things weren’t all lost entirely. His kindness surprised her. Not that it made any difference.
“What can we do? We’re surrounded. They’d catch us.” Despair threatened to swallow her up once more. This mission was doomed to fail from the start.
“Leave it to me. Go hide and wait for my signal.”
She considered ignoring him, running away and not looking back. She’d raise all of Akatsuki if that’s what it took to save Tomoe. But a handful of the girls got to their feet. Hope was shining in their eyes. Tomoe wasn’t here, but Shin was right, the least they could do was help them.
Akane went and hid behind a nearby building. As soon as she was out of sight, Shin cried out, a high-pitched screech. The oni came running.
“What is it now?” the oni asked.
“Something. Oowww.” Shin moaned and fell to the ground.
“I’m not going to fall for that,” the oni said. But Shin was lying on the ground gasping f
or air, clawing at his throat.
One of the dead-eyed girls knelt beside him. “She’s dying! You have to do something.” Her voice had a musical cadence.
The oni glanced over his shoulder where his companions were seated around a fire.
Shin wailed again, reaching for the oni through the bars. He tried to shake him off, but Shin sunk his claws into his flesh. The oni roared and pulled back. A few of the priestesses rushed the bars. Their small hands fumbled over him, reaching for the keys.
One priestess was successful. She threw her hand up in triumph.
“Give those back,” the oni hollered.
With his free hand he reached for her, but she threw the keys to another priestess who shoved the key into the lock. When the door swung open, the priestesses flooded out. At the same time, the oni broke free of Shin.
He cut them off, meaty arms held wide. “You’re not going anywhere.”
From her place in the shadows, Akane shot an arrow. It bounced ineffectually off the oni’s shoulder. He turned around slowly, giving the priestesses a chance to escape.
The oni thundered toward her. Moving with surprising speed, Akane barely had time to even notch another arrow. The oni raised his club and the shadow of it fell over her. Akane backed away, her back slamming into a wall. There was nowhere else to go. She let loose the arrow aimed at his vulnerable eye, but he was too close and it bounced ineffectually off his thick hide. Inches from smashing her into a pulp, his club slipped from his meaty hand. The oni’s step faltered. He tilted forward and crashed onto the ground at Akane’s feet. She looked up from the unconscious oni to Shin who stood over him, rock in hand.
“That really worked. I’m surprised.” He tossed the rock aside, with a self-satisfied grin.
Akane burst into laughter. It wasn’t the time for this, but she couldn’t help herself. Shin met her eye and they shared a private joke. Maybe she had been too harsh on him.
Their amusement was cut short. The other yokai had heard the commotion and came running. There were more yokai in this camp than she’d seen. Monkey yokai climbed over the tops of buildings. Lizard yokai crawled forward with their fangs bared. Behind them a line of boar yokai and oni squeezed in between the buildings.
Akane shot a series of arrows one after another. It took down a few of the smaller yokai. But when one fell, the yokai behind them stepped over their fallen comrade and took his place.
Shin transformed into his wolf form. She had to tilt her head back to take him all in. The white hairs on his back were raised as he bared his teeth in a menacing growl.
“Shin?” One of the boar yokai asked.
A concerned mutter rippled through the crowd.
“I’m letting these girls go.” His voice rumbled over the crowd.
One of the monkey yokai on the rooftop laughed. “Akio ordered us to capture them. You have no authority here.”
“This is too much. They’re innocent.”
The yokai laughed, their snorts, hoots and hollers echoing around them. “They’re only human. But if Akio finds you here, he’ll skin you and wear your pelt,” said the monkey yokai. He leaned forward with a diabolical smile on his face.
“He’ll need to catch me first.”
“We’ve got you outnumbered. This is pointless.”
But they weren’t outnumbered. Yokai were weak to the spiritual power of a priestess. And in numbers they were evenly matched.
While Shin kept the yokai distracted, Akane turned to the priestesses. “Why don’t you fight, try and escape?” She gestured toward the yokai.
The priestesses kept their gazes on the ground. A few had sunk back onto the ground, clutching their knees to their chest.
“Don’t you think we tried? We’re not strong enough.”
Shin growled as he knocked back one of the yokai who’d closed in.
“You are the chosen of the kami. Together you can defeat them. Believe me.”
They shared looks amongst them. “I suppose we could try?” the priestess replied.
“That’s it!” Akane cheered.
All moved into a circle, clasping hands. Then as one they began to sing. Akane felt the power rolling over her, a tingle against her flesh at first. And then a slight burn.
Shin must have felt it too, because he turned toward her. The combined strength of the priestesses was building. Their voices melded together until they were speaking as one.
The pressure of their spiritual energy was a heavy weight against her chest. But she couldn’t look away. It was like looking into the sun, a glimpse of the divine light which she must always hover outside but never touch.
The force of their song brought her to her knees. The yokai were screaming, running from the purifying light emanating from the priestesses.
Shin grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her to her feet. The yokai were too concerned with saving their own lives to notice Akane and Shin trying to escape.
Akane ran as fast as her legs would carry her. If she transformed into a wolf, she could move much faster, but the fear that she might lose control burned through her veins. There was no saying what would happen if they did. To her surprise Shin didn’t transform, and instead kept stride with her in a human form.
As they ran some yokai fell, too weak to resist the purifying energy rolling over the landscape. They writhed in agony before exploding into a pile of ashes. Akane’s own skin sizzled, and she had to push herself harder to outrun their song.
Power rolled over the land, shaking the ground beneath her feet. Shin yanked her behind a boulder. He pressed her back against it, his arms encircling her. A mighty blast burst outward in a blinding golden light. The yokai screamed as they were incinerated.
The air crackled with power before slowly fading, like a wave rolling back from the shore. But even being at fringes of such concentrated power made her stomach churn. They needed to get away, or risk it weakening them further. Akane glanced up at Shin to find his face very close to hers. He craned his neck to see around the boulder. Then his gaze flickered to her. They jumped apart.
A line had been scorched into the earth inches away from them. Had the priestess’ power extended further they’d both have died. As it was the wolf within her was silenced. The purification had weakened her.
The priestesses trickled out of the remains of the camp, their eyes wide as they stared at the ashes of the destroyed yokai. This was the power of the divine.
“Come on, we need to get out of here before we’re purified by proxy.”
“What about the priestesses?” Akane asked.
“I think they can take care of themselves, don’t you?”
Akane gave one last lingering look to the priestesses. They had gathered in groups, with new hope shining in their eyes. They’d done all they could for them. She couldn’t get close to them now even if she wanted. They were cloaked in a divine aura. Any yokai who attempted to get near them would be burned.
Akane and Shin made their way into the forest, putting as much distance between them and the camp as possible. But guilt weighed on her mind.
“You helped them escape.”
He blinked at her. “What kind of monster would I be if I left them like that?”
Akane examined the tall grass nearby. A blush crept over her cheeks. She’d been wrong about him. He’d risked everything to help her. Even now some of Akio’s men could have escaped and were on their way to report to him. Saying she was sorry didn’t seem adequate after how she’d treated him.
Shin grabbed her by the shoulder. Akane’s attention snapped back to him.
“What are—”
He shoved her to the ground.
A lizard yokai hissed as he rushed Shin. Catching the lizard by the middle, Shin tossed him into the grass. He took a defensive stance and his eyes scanned the horizon. The grass rustled as the lizard stalked around him. The lizard’s green head popped up behind Shin. His fangs dripped with venom as he lunged for Shin.
“Behind you!” Akan
e shouted.
Shin rolled out of the way and the lizard landed in front of Akane. He shot toward her. She reached for her arrow, but he was already too close. Shin grabbed hold of its tail and it gave Akane the chance she needed. Not bothering with a quiver, she shoved the arrow between the lizard’s shoulder blades.
Green blood oozed from the wound.
“Get away, every part of it is poisonous,” Shin shouted, leaping backward.
It screamed as it thrashed. A spraying of green blood burned the grass. The stench was sharp and acidic. Then after a few seconds it lay still. Shin inched closer to inspect the lizard’s corpse. He crouched down beside him, head cocked to one side.
“It’s dead,” he said, turning his back to the lizard.
“You saved me.” Akane stared at him wide-eyed.
“You’re welcome.” He smirked.
Akane blushed.
Behind Shin the creature lifted its head. Akane couldn’t move fast enough to warn him. And the lizard sunk its fangs in Shin’s ankle.
Shin shook it off him, before stomping on its skull to crush it. There was a wet crack and then the lizard was still.
“Are you alright?” Akane asked, eyes darting down to his bloody leg which oozed blood and green venom.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. “I’m fine.” His voice was deadly calm, which somehow scared her even more. “Let’s go.” He took a few stumbling steps then he pitched forward.
Akane rushed to catch him. “Are you sure? Let me look at it.” She knelt beside his leg and reached to roll up his hakama, but he pushed her away.
“Don’t touch it—” He choked and made a gurgling sound. His knees buckled and he fell onto the ground.
She crawled closer and rolled him onto his back.
“Shin!” She shook him.
“I don’t want to die.” He squeezed her hand tight as his eyes rolled back in his head.
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Okami: A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling Page 8