“What?!” Shitoro cried.

“Ichitiro. Do you recognize that name?”

“Y-yes. But how do you know it, and how do you know that it was he who sent the youkai after us?”

“The bear,” Kisaki replied. “He told me that Ichitiro sends his regards. I assumed that he is the earthbound demon you fear may be coming.”

“No, not at all.” Shitoro seemed to turn even paler than his already white fur. “Ichitiro is no mere demon.”

“Oh, then is he a...”

“He is a daimao, like your mother.”

Kisaki’s mouth dropped open at the revelation and a cold chill began to spread down her spine. “But why? Why is he after us?”

“I do not know. We have been so careful. He could not know of your existence. It’s impossible.”

“I think all of us have had to redefine our definition of impossible today,” Stephen said. “Welcome to the party.”

“This is not a joking matter!” Shitoro snapped. “Do you not understand the power he has at his command?”

“Actually, no, I don’t.”

Shitoro ignored him and began to pace. “Why? As a hanyou, you should be beneath his contempt.” At the look on Kisaki’s face, he added, “Don’t be insulted. It is merely the truth. The daimao are a proud and powerful race. Their station breeds arrogance, but Ichitiro’s is legendary even amongst them. He treats his servants like playthings for his amusement. If he were to come across you in the palace, yes, he would kill you for what you are. But here, on Earth? Why go to the trouble? And how would he even know how to find...”

He spun toward Kisaki, grabbed both of her arms, and yanked her down to his level. “The crystal.”

“Crystal?” she asked, certain he’d figured out she had another.

“Yes, the one you used to bring us here.”

She almost let out a sigh of relief. “What of it? It’s gone. Used up.”

“I know that! What color was it?”

“I do not...”

“Your mother’s are black as obsidian. Each daimao’s crystals have a unique color according to their individual power. I had assumed the other you’d swiped was hers, too. Was it?”

After a moment passed, Kisaki shook her head.

“What color, then?”

She had snuck a glance earlier, when no one was looking, to see which of the two she’d used. “Grey, like a storm cloud.”

Shitoro let go of her and backed away. “Oh, you stupid, stupid child.”

“Let me guess,” Tamiko said. “Grey belongs to that Ichi guy?”

“Precisely,” he replied. “And worse. When a crystal is used, the owner can sense it. They do not necessarily know who did so, but they know it was used and where the user was sent. That is how I was able to find Kisaki in the first place.”

“Yeah, but you said you were searching the island for two days.”

“It gives a general location, nothing more. If the user moves, then the owner would still need to find them.”

“But we did move,” Tamiko pointed out. “We appeared at least a kilometer away from Stephen’s house. So how did they track us so quickly when you only found us by accident?”

“I don’t know. Wolves have good noses, even better than mine. Perhaps they got lucky and caught our scent.”

“Could they find us again?”

“They will know of the human’s house. We cannot return there. Aside from that...” He shrugged.

“So what do we do if this Ichi person does come looking...”

Shitoro took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself. “He cannot. The edict. He can’t come here himself. That is one plus on our side. But he can send his followers.”

“Followers?” Kisaki asked.

“When the edict was laid down, many youkai were stranded on Earth, left to their own devices to either survive or die. We are speaking about thousands at the least, all across the planet.”

“But if they were stranded, then...”

“Oh, do open your eyes, child. I am here, am I not? The daimao cannot go themselves, not without the others sensing it. They are simply too powerful. Their very passing leaves an absence of energy the others can feel. But a small sending, such as a youkai with his master’s crystal, the others would not immediately know of it happening.” He glanced up at Kisaki. “It is why I came alone at your mother’s behest. If she could send me, then Ichitiro could send his servants as well. In fact, he certainly would. Your mother respects the edicts of the celestial court. She only sent me because she was in a dire panic over your safety. I sincerely doubt Ichitiro has anywhere near that same respect.”

“Sounds like a bit of an ass,” Stephen said.

“I assume that is an insult,” Shitoro replied. “If so, then yes. He is more than a bit of one. But still, many of the demons stranded here are bound to be desperate. I don’t doubt they would rally to his flag upon receiving even the most minor of recompense.”

“But why come after me here?” Kisaki asked.

“I do not know, but it may be little more than simple pettiness. The crystal chamber was established for us servants to use as needed. All of the daimao have contributed to it, but it was well known that Ichitiro despised anyone using his without express permission. Youkai who disregarded his warning were known to disappear. There were plenty of other crystals to use, so most of us took to avoiding his. It’s possible he is simply acting out, trying to teach the offending party a lesson in respect.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Add petulant to what I said.”

Shitoro nodded toward Stephen. “Indeed. But nevertheless, if we have attracted his attention, then we should flee this place immediately. He cannot know of your existence.”

“But you just said a hanyou like me was beneath his attention.”

“In most cases, yes.” Shitoro placed his hands behind his back and continued to pace. “Ichitiro’s wrath is legendary, but he is neither known for his intelligence nor his attention span. The fact that you defeated some youkai mercenaries will intrigue him, but nothing more. But whoever sent those youkai, whoever commands them here on Earth, will most likely send more. Ichitiro is not tolerant of failure. Therein lies the problem. If more are sent and they find us, we cannot allow them to live.”

“I know what you said about mercy...”

“It is more than that! It ... is difficult to explain. Just know that it is something we must do. That is why I say we must flee this place at once.”

“What aren’t you telling me, Shitoro?” After another pause on his part, Kisaki reiterated herself, once more drawing upon that authority she’d discovered so recently. “Shitoro, now.”

He looked up at her and smiled sadly before walking over to a nearby bench and sitting down. “Ichitiro is not merely another daimao. He is your mother’s would-be suitor.”

“Her what?!”

Shitoro shook his head. “Your mother has never expressed any interest in him. He is a brute, wishing to possess what he cannot. That she chose a human over him, though, is something that I doubt he could let go of if he ever found out.”

“So that is the reason she hid me?”

“That is one of the reasons,” he said. “Even so, with you here on Earth, his interest would likely eventually wane. The problem is only partially who you are. It is also about what you have taken.”

“Taken?”

“The Taiyosori, child. You have stolen that which cannot be stolen and as such have put yourself in grave danger.”

“Why? You said it was a secondary concern to my mother.”

“It is, compared to you, but we are not talking about her now. It’s Ichitiro. Your mother has long suspected that the reason he fancied her above their other siblings...”

“Siblings?” Stephen asked. “Is this heaven you’re talking about or Arkansas?”

“The meanderings of the divine are beyond the understanding of one as primitive as yourself,” Shitoro snapped before continuing. “Lady Midnite believes the only reason he wishes her as his consort is because of the Taiyosori.”

“You said it was powerful,” Kisaki said, subconsciously touching the spot in her jacket where it lay.

“Vastly so.”

“So if this Ichitiro wanted it so badly, why didn’t he just try to take it?” Tamiko asked.

“That would invite open conflict among the daimao,” Shitoro explained, “conflict that the others would most likely not side with him on. Nevertheless, the heavens would burn before it was over and that destruction would spread to other worlds, such as this one. However, it would also be quite impossible, for, as I said, the Taiyosori cannot be stolen. It would defend itself against any who dared try, be they human, youkai, or daimao.”

“It did kind of shock me when I first touched it,” Kisaki admitted.

“Doesn’t look like it did all that much,” Stephen said, looking her over. “If that’s the best antitheft device it has, then it’s not all that impressive.”

“Therein lies the conundrum,” Shitoro replied, sounding exasperated. “The Taiyosori cannot be stolen, but I assure you it can and has done much worse to those who have tried. It can only be mastered in three ways. It can be gifted to one who is worthy, as it was passed from the elder gods to Kisaki’s mother. It can be won in combat, something that even Ichitiro would not dare against Lady Midnite. Though he may be her match, with the sword she would prevail.”

“What’s the third?”

“The sword can be inherited, such as from parent to child.”

“But her mother isn’t dead,” Tamiko said.

“As I am well aware, human. But her mother’s blood flows through her veins. In a sense, she is her rightful heir. The sword must have sensed that when she touched it.”

“But why did it turn into a quill?” Kisaki asked.

“How am I supposed to know? I’ve never been foolish enough to try stealing it. I can’t even recall your mother touching it more than once or twice in the time I have served her. All I know of it are myth and legend.”

“Okay. So this guy can’t steal the sword and he definitely can’t inherit it,” Tamiko said. “So what if Kisaki just refused to fight him?”

“I’m afraid it is not that simple,” Shitoro replied. “Lady Midnite is a daimao. Ichitiro risks much by goading her into combat. Such a thing is not undertaken lightly. Kisaki, however, is a hanyou. Her status as Lady Midnite’s daughter will mean nothing to him. If he learns who she is, and what she has in her possession, then he will fall upon her without mercy.”

“What if I don’t use the sword? He won’t have won it then.”

“A mere technicality. If he kills you while you are in possession of it, that could very well count as a victory, or so your mother believes.”

Kisaki repressed the shudder that threatened to escape. “But if he kills me, then he’ll also risk angering her, won’t he?”

“Yes. She would be heartbroken. Her fury would shake the celestial palace to its very foundation, but she would be in the same position that Ichitiro finds himself now. The other daimao would not rally to her cause to avenge a hanyou and, with the Taiyosori in Ichitiro’s grasp, it is unlikely your mother could defeat him.”

The truth finally out, it hit Kisaki like one of the cars she’d seen on the roads of this planet. She had truly messed up. All she’d wanted was an adventure, a chance to see what lay beyond her mother’s doors, maybe the opportunity to meet someone new. She’d taken the sword as a curio, nothing more, but in doing so had set in motion a chain of events that threatened not only her, but her friends, too, and possibly much more if Shitoro’s belief in the sword’s power were true.

She still had one crystal, the red one. She could use that to send her and Shitoro back to the palace and return the sword to its rightful owner. But which daimao did the final crystal belong to? Who would be alerted to her passage? It sounded as if this Ichitiro was the worst of the lot, but that didn’t mean the others would be as noble as her mother, or as willing to let her live.

Still, that seemed a small matter compared to her friends. Whatever was happening in this town, it sounded as if more youkai were coming to flush them out. She couldn’t take Tamiko and Stephen with her to the palace. There was no telling what would happen to them as mere humans. But she also couldn’t leave them here to fend for themselves. That would be no better than if she had killed them herself.

“We need to run,” Kisaki said at last. “Leave this place, by foot or car. Go somewhere where Ichitiro’s minions can’t find us.” She turned to Shitoro. “Will that work?”

“Perhaps. They will scour this place, but if they can’t find you, then they will be forced to reconsider their options. I do not believe even Ichitiro has either the patience or resources for an extended search if he has no idea where we have gone.”

“But what about the people here?” Stephen asked.

“Some may perish,” Shitoro said. “But I do not think it will be many. The youkai of Earth have learned to be wary. They know better than to risk exposing themselves for long. That their existence seems to have been relegated to myth and legend tells me they have succeeded. Without Kisaki here, they will have no reason to tarry.”

“What do you mean ‘some?’”

“I wish I could give you assurances, human, I truly do, but the truth is that we do not know who is commanding them here. Youkai are as diverse as your people with regards to temper and power. If the one in charge is reasonable then casualties will be kept to a minimum, perhaps none at all. However, if that leader is...”

“Bolder and stronger than the rest?”

The group spun toward the tree line, where the deep voice had seemingly originated, but there was nothing there.

“Perhaps one who is tired of hiding from the human vermin?”

This time, the voice seemed to come from somewhere else entirely, but again they saw no one. Kisaki, however, noticed Shitoro sniff the air and the hackles of his fur raise.

“No,” he whispered.

“Yes, little youkai,” the beast said, stepping from the tree line. It stood nearly nine feet tall, its form heavily muscled and covered in dark fur. And it wasn’t alone. Wolves, bears, and more stepped from the forest alongside it.

“Crag the hunter has come for you, and his sharp ears hear that you have a prize worth seeking. Give me the Taiyosori and I might allow your deaths to be quick.”