The Yokai flailed and splashed about, trampling the reeds.
"What's all this commotion?" Kaito asked, coming over to Suzume, who was actively hitting the creature now.
"This toad thing attacked me!" she said, pointing an accusatory finger at the creature, who had sunk down in the water. Only his black eyes and indented head were above the water's surface.
"This?" Kaito pointed to the creature. He knelt along the shore. The creature sank beneath the surface, leaving a ripple in its place. Kaito reached in after it and pulled out the squirming creature, which continued to wail a high-pitched shriek. It was a pale green all over with a turtle shell and webbed hands and feet. "Stop your noise, insect. I am your lord returned after many centuries' sleep."
The creature flailed and beat at Kaito's arm with its webbed hands. He sighed. "Use your words. I know you speak the common tongue."
The creature looked at him, blinking its large black eyes. "You no eat me?" it asked with a trembling squeaky voice.
"No, I will not eat you," Kaito said with a smirk. "If you behave and answer my questions."
The creature nodded its head furiously and it was a wonder the water in the indent on its head did not spill out onto the ground.
"What is it?" Suzume asked as she wrinkled her nose.
"This?" Kaito said as he dangled the creature in front of Suzume. "This is a Kappa. A little insect that lives in bodies of water and has a bad habit of drowning unsuspecting idiots, don't you?" He shook the Kappa, who nodded its head in eager agreement as if blindly agreeing to Kaito's insults.
"Are you saying I'm an idiot?" Suzume asked with an arched brow.
"No, you just did." He smirked and then turned his attention back to the Kappa. "Now tell me, who has been ruling this region in my absence?"
"Many come. Many go. Humans multiply. Big ones disappear but for one." The Kappa looked back and forth, not meeting Kaito's gaze.
"Answer me straight, you little water beetle! Who is it, the monkey clan? The ogres? No, wait, they're both too stupid to even put on pants, it wouldn't have been either of them. "
"This region is ruled by Governor Kitayama," Suzume interjected but was quickly cut off.
"Not your paltry human 'rulers', one of the one hundred thousand, the earth's first children, an immortal. We owned this land before Seikatsu accidentally unleashed you pests upon the earth. And now look how you've spread across this land like a disease." He shook the Kappa again. "Who is the remaining 'big one', then?" he growled.
The Kappa shrank into itself, making a compact little ball. "He has many names. Many faces. No one knows for sure."
Kaito sighed. "I'll let you live this time, but if you try to drown something of mine again, I'll use your shell as my soup bowl!"
He dropped the Kappa. It landed on its turtle shell and rolled over before scurrying into the water. The last they heard was a splash. All that marked his escape was a small ripple on the surface of the water. Suzume stared at the place where the Kappa had been. Why have I never seen things like this until now? She looked back to the Dragon. Everything changed when he woke up.
"What does he mean, 'big one'?" she asked.
He crossed his arms over his chest as he scanned the horizon. His eyes narrowed, looking in the distance. Suzume shaded her gaze beneath her hand to try to spot what he was looking at but saw nothing.
"What are you looking at?" she asked impatiently.
After a few minutes of silence he answered her. "There are different types of Yokai. They range anywhere from beings like me down to insects like that thing. My kind rule over the smaller ones and keep them from devouring each other. If there were another being like me in this area, I would feel his spiritual pressure or at least a trace if he were disguising himself."
"Well, do you sense anything?" she asked with a hand on her hip.
"No," he replied.
"Well, isn't that a good thing?"
"It is as if there is no Yokai here at all, expect for these dumb creatures. Which cannot be possible, there should be someone here. It's possible whoever this 'big one' is, he's powerful enough that he does not even leave a trace of his spiritual energy. That would make him as powerful as me." He frowned.
She did not like the sound of two of Kaito. Suzume snatched her sandal off the ground and shoved her foot into it. It squished unpleasantly as she walked, but there was no time to complain or she would be left behind.
"Where are you going?" she demanded.
"An old friend of mine is nearby. I think it's time we paid him a little visit and found out about this 'big one'." He smiled at her over his shoulder.
Suzume sighed. Somehow she did not think this encounter would bode well for her. Maybe if she was lucky, Kaito would meet this big one and they would somehow kill one another and take care of her problem for her. She could only hope.
Want More? Get the Priestess and the Dragon available now.
Also by Nicolette Andrews
World of Akatsuki
Tales of Akatsuki
Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling
Yuki: A Snow White Retelling
Okami: A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling
The Dragon Saga
The Priestess and the Dragon
The Sea Stone
The Song of the Wind
Diviner’s World
Duchess
Sorcerer (Newsletter Exclusive)
Diviner’s Prophecy
Diviner’s Curse
Diviner’s Fate
Princess
Thornwood Series
Fairy Ring
Heart of Thorns
About the Author
Nicolette is a native San Diegan with a passion for the world of make believe. From a young age, Nicolette was telling stories whether it be writing plays for her friends to act out or making a series of children's books that her mother still likes drag out to embarrass her with in front of company. She still lives in her imagination but in reality she resides in San Diego with her husband, children and a couple cats. She loves reading, attempting arts and crafts, and cooking.
You can visit her at her website: www.fantasyauthornicoletteandrews.com or at these places:
Okami: A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling Page 21