Chapter 3: Of Wolves and Men
Satoshi woke up when he heard quiet breathing next to him. He was face to face with Kohaku, who was in her wolf form, and when his eyes started to open, she howled. Fully awakened,Satoshi lifted a hand and squinted against the bright morning sun that cast lemon-gold brilliance across the landscape, lending a pastel-like quality to it. He took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air and the breeze that whispered through the trees. “Good morning, Kohaku. You slept well, I expect?”
“I don’t really need sleep,” Kohaku said with a secretive smile as she transformed from her wolf form into her half humanoid form. “My endurance is higher than yours. Also, you slept quite soundly. For all you know, I could’ve mauled you in your sleep.”
“You haven’t killed me yet, so I think I can trust you,” Satoshi said with a smile, before he said. “I think breakfast sounds like a good idea, first of all.”
“I suppose I’ll have to do the hunting then. You’re like a little cub who can’t fend for itself,” Kohaku said, before she suddenly transformed into her wolf form. Satoshi watched in fascination as her body contorted into a new form, bones crunching as they shifted and adjusted. Luxurious brown fur bristled all over her bare body, her jaw elongated, and Kohaku settled down into all fours. In a flash, Kohaku already disappeared into the forest to get their meal. In the meantime, Satoshi foraged for some roots and plants to help supplement the early breakfast. Perhaps later along the road, he could catch a brace of fish for eating while they walked alongside a chuckling river. Once he gathered enough edible greens, Satoshi set up some kindling for a fire, and began muttering an incantation. Sparks flared into existence, catching into the kindling and roaring into life.
The Youkai returned with a brace of rabbits in her mouth--one for Satoshi and the rest for herself. Satoshi gratefully took one and began skinning and gutting it. His work was neat and efficient--and he began cooking the rabbit by the fire. The savory smell of roasting meat and juices wafted in the air. Kohaku gulped down each of her rabbits in one fluid movement of her throat, before she regarded Satoshi’s cooking methods curiously by sniffing at the outer edge of the kindling fire.
“Interesting,” Kohaku remarked. “Though I suppose raw rabbit wouldn’t be very palatable to you, would it?”
“Say…I’ve been thinking…when we make our way into a village or some town, what am I to do with you?” Satoshi said, musing to himself. “People would find your ears and tail strange in human form…so perhaps it would be best if you remained in your wolf form. But then, I think I’ll have a hard time convincing people that you’re my pet dog.”
“You would demote me to a mere dog, Elementalist?” Kohaku said as she lifted her head proudly.
Satoshi had to smile at that. “I hope you don’t think of me being disrespectful. But remember, it’s only to ensure both our safety.”
“There’s no need for concern,” Kohaku said. “After all, I am a Youkai.”
The rabbit finished cooking. Satoshi wasted no part of the animal, eating it down to the bone and sucking the juices out of the marrow. He licked his fingers after he drained the marrow, before dipping his hands into the cool stream to clean away the last remnants of food. Satoshi splashed some water on his face, washing away the bone-deep wariness from the night before. He took a handful of wild beechnuts, popping out the sweet kernel inside, chewing slowly and savoring them. Satoshi also ate the leaves of a chicory plant, along with the tubers and young leaves of a daylily plant.
Once he finished his meal, Satoshi clasped his hands together for a small prayer, thanking the spirits and nature for providing him nourishment. Satoshi then turned to Kohaku, who lay sprawled on her back and sunbathed in the warm sunshine.
“Do you know if there’s any sign of civilization nearby?”
“Remember, you cannot command a Youkai. And a Youkai is likely to turn on you if you show any signs of hesitation or fear.”
“I’m simply asking you as a friend. Is that all right?”
“You have a strange notion of friends,” Kohaku said with a snort, before she sniffed the air delicately and perked her ears. “There is civilization nearby. A village not too far from where we’re standing.”
“That’s good then,” Satoshi said as he began to stretch out his limbs and started walked towards the direction that Kohaku’s nose was pointed. “Maybe they can give us useful information about drawing back this curse…or maybe they have news about my father.”
“There’s an admiring tone in your voice when you speak of your father,” Kohaku said. “Are you close to him?”
“Well, not exactly. He left on a journey when I was born and I haven’t seen his face. All I know is that he’s a legendary Elementalist and performed good deeds across the land.”
“You think your father could help you? He was a mere man, fallible just like the rest of you humans.”
“You’d be surprised at how resilient we as a people are,” Satoshi said with a smile.
Kohaku then lowered her fours and put her belly flat on the ground. “Hurry up, human. I’ll leave you behind if I don’t put you on my back.”
“You’re letting me ride on your back?” Satoshi said with a blink.
“Please, I’m giving you permission to ride on my glorious back. Remember that I’m a Youkai.”
“Right,” Satoshi said with a smile, before he clambered up onto Kohaku’s back. Her tawny fur felt soft underneath his fingers, and when she leapt off the ground and started bounding towards the village, Satoshi’s head whipped back and his hair streamed behind him in a banner while all the greenery around them turned into a blur. Satoshi laughed, enjoying the exhilharating thrill of riding upon a wolf’s back. Kohaku ran swiftly, never tiring, her shoulder bunching up and loosening with each stride forward. Once they made their way to the village, Satoshi patted Kohaku on the head gently and got off her back.
However, something was strange about this village. Satoshi looked around, and saw that no one exited out of the cozy homes to greet them. When Satoshi entered inside, he noticed that the tables were set with savory meals, untouched, and everything seemed to be in perfect order. It was all very strange. Satoshi headed out to report his findings to Kohaku.
“No people,” Satoshi said a little ruefully.
“You told me to sniff out a settlement,” Kohaku said with a dismissive air. “Not for people. It looks like you could use a hot meal yourself.”
“But, that would be stealing, wouldn’t it?” Satoshi said.
“A wolf does not concern herself with the thoughts of sheep,” Kohaku said while raising her head proudly. “Food is food. If it’s there for the taking, salvage what you can and fill your stomach.”
“I think I’m fine with the rabbit you gave me this morning,” Satoshi said, before Kohaku turned into her human form and shook her head.
“You’re hungry. I can tell. It would be stupid for you to not take what you can.”
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“It’s not mine to take,” Satoshi mused. “Besides…the people might come back.”
“Something made them leave,” Kohaku noted, and Satoshi felt an uneasy feeling prickle the back of his neck. “Well, your human principles aren’t going to serve you well out in the world where there are no laws and civilization. Remember that.”
Satoshi watched as Kohaku leapt off to another part of the village, and he let out a sigh.
She did have a point, but…why did Kohaku make it seem like his honorable principles didn’t make any sense or were impractical? He believed that being honorable and keeping promises and living by morals was what made a man, and it was the only thing he had left, especially after being abandoned by his family. His mother believed in purity of the soul, and Satoshi did daily meditations everyday to make sure that his mind and heart were in accordance to one another. His mind told him that he shouldn’t take the food, that it belonged to someone else and it wasn’t his for the taking; but his heart said that he would starve to death if he didn’t get something to eat, he would be useless and sluggish without energy to make a journey onto another part of the world, being a burden to Kohaku.
What did he do in a situation like this? It was against his principles, but the food was tempting and it was nourishment. Satoshi then wondered; how to think like a wolf? A wolf cared only about survival; it didn’t have sentimental attachments or notions of honor or human principles that guided it. No, the wild was a cuthroat place, and if prey tried to act friendly and honorable towards a predator, it would only find itself clamped between its jaws. After warring inside of himself for several moments, Satoshi then decided that he would forgo the food. It was easy takings, and it probably was impractical to leave food that could’ve easily nourished him, though Satoshi needed to demonstrate human principles to Kohaku. He needed to give her a good example of what it meant to be a human, not a deity and not a wolf.
Satoshi headed out of the house. Kohaku sniffed ahead in wolf form, before saying, “Ah, so you didn’t take the food. Do I have to regurgitate leftover rabbit from my body and into your mouth, boy?”
“I don’t think I want that either…” Satoshi said with a sheepish smile, before Kohaku snorted. “Besides…you should save that energy for yourself.”
“I will never understand you humans and your principles,” Kohaku said with a shake of her mane, though she loped on ahead as she trekked the great forest, where massive roots twisted and curled above the earth from gigantic trees that must’ve been a thousand years old. Satoshi felt as though several eyes were watching him, though when Satoshi peeked behind the massive trees, he found no one hiding underneath the roots or beyond the trunks or in the canopies or even in the branches, but still, a heavy sense of foreboding overcame Satoshi. He turned, and suddenly another wolf emerged to scrounge food from the settlement.
It was a humongous wolf that was far taller in stature and greater in girth than any wolf that Satoshi had ever seen. The wolf snarled at Satoshi, though Satoshi fell back and almost tripped over himself, staying very very still. The only thought in his mind was that he needed to survive, that he couldn’t die in the wild without accomplishing anything on his journey, to find a cure for his curse. Satoshi held out two fingers, about to incant a spell, before Kohaku leapt in front of him in wolf form, snarling at the other wolf.
“Don’t,” Kohaku said as she stood protectively in front of Satoshi. “This is a Youkai that has gone Feral.”
“A Youkai?” Satoshi said, before nodding in undetstanding. “I see. So this is the thing that has been prowling the forest and made the people leave?”
“No doubt about it,” Kohaku said. “Stay back. I’ll handle this.”
Kohaku lunged forward and sank her jaws into the other wolf’s throat, or attempted to. The other wolf refused to be taken down, however, and it shrugged off Kohaku’s assault like it was nothing. It was a large male wolf that was far greater in size than Kohaku in her wolf form, though Kohaku was more lean and nimble, though she didn’t possess the monstrous strength of the bigger wolf. The bigger wolf wrestled Kohaku down to the ground, trying to subdue her, though Kohaku rolled out of the way, snarling, and bit towards the other wolf. The other wolf yelped in pain as Kohaku advanced forward and lifted up her forelegs to lock them with the other wolf forelegs as they formed a kind of two legged dance with one another while snapping at one another’s faces. Kohaku then managed to push the other wolf on the ground, belly up, and her teeth at the other’s throat, snarling.
It was over in seconds. The other wolf submitted, knowing that Kohaku was the alpha. Satoshi cautiously stepped forward.
Kohaku transformed back into her humanoid form, ears twitching atop her head, before saying, “He can’t transform back to his humanoid form yet completely. He hasn’t turned completely Feral, as I’ve feared. However, I was wrestling with him and showed him my dominance so that he knows who’s in charge around here.”
“What causes a Youkai to turn Feral?” Satoshi asked in wonder, looking at the other wolf who slowly collapsed and started to transform into his humanoid form.
“Sometimes when a Youkai stays in their animal form for too long, they lose their rational thinking. I’m going to ask this guy some questions and see what led him to this. Though the humans have abandoned the village, as Youkai are feared among many people, this Wolf has the scent of one that has been abandoned by his clan.”
When the other wolf came to, he looked towards Kohaku and said. “Why do you defend a human, Wolf Goddess Kohaku?”
“He is a mere appetizer that I’m saving for later,” Kohaku said airily, before saying. “I don’t like when others try to lay claim to my things. Besides that, this boy can help you, I think.”
“I highly doubt that,” the other wolf said doubtfully, before he turned towards Satoshi. “Human. Your kind don’t respect the gods and the magic that sustains the land. How will you make up for teh sins of your brethren?”
“I’m very sorry,” Satoshi said as he bowed towards teh Wolf that was not quite completely Feral. “I know that we humans are frail and faulty of many sins. It’s true, that the deities of the land are being reviled and man is building terrible structures that sucks up the magic in the land. The Old Ways are disappearing. But I assure you,I’m on a journey to help restore peace to the land and put a stop to humankind using forbidden technology that they were never meant to find.”
“You speak truly,” the wolf said slowly, before Satoshi raised his head and looked at the wolf head on.”But I can’t let you go just yet. You have a curse inside you, boy?”
Satoshi nodded. “A very dangerous one.”
“You do not fear me,” the Wolf Youkai said. “Even beasts have more sense of self preservation than you, boy. Kohaku may be your ally now, but remember that Youkai have their own agenda. A human can’t possibly hope to tame a Youkai.”
“I see,” Satoshi said, before he smiled a bit. “Kohaku and I…I like to think that we’re friends. Or maybe I’m just a snack that she’s saving for later, who knows? Whatever the case, I made her a promise, and I’m going to fulfill it.”
“And what promise was that, boy?”
“To find her homeland,” Satoshi said with a serious expression on his face. “It’s very important for her. She was serving as a guardian deity of a village for so long that she missed her homeland.I will return her there and escort her safely.”
“A Youkai doesn’t need protection from the likes of a human,” the Wolf Youkai said proudly.
“Your’e right. I’m a mere mortal. There’s only so much I can do. The Youkai are amazing and deserve to be revered for their great strength. However, I have a duty, and I’m obligated to fulfill it. Just something called human principles. I don’t aim to tame Kohaku or anything like that—I just want to show her that humans have amazing resilience and adaptability.”
“I wish you luck on your journey, then,” The Wolf Youkai said, before he transformed back into a Wolf. “I will no longer terrorize this village. But remember this, boy; Youkai cannot be tamed. You may try to teach Kohaku your human ways and your soft-hearted notions, but in the end, she only serves her best purpose which requires self preservation and fulfills her own needs. She is merely going along with you because your goals align with her needs.”
The wolf then loped off and disappeared into the great forest and beyond. Kohaku let out a sigh, before saying, “He’s right you know. You have no sense of self preservation. Like when you refused to eat a meal from someone else because you considered it ‘stealing’. If you have the power, if it’s there for the taking, you should accept that opportunity. You’re starving right now, I can tell. You barely have enough energy after talking with that Youkai.”
“I know, I must seem like a helpless cub to you,” Satoshi said while he looked off into the distance. “You were the one who brought me food and hunted for me. I appreciate your friendship and your kindness, Kohaku. I’m not aiming to tame you, but I’m trying to teach you human culture so that maybe one day Youkai and humans can get along together.”
“That is rather idealistic thinking,” Kohaku said. “But you’re a pure hearted child, despite the curse that lies within you. Well, boy, you have intrigued me. I sense a power within you that says that you’ll be able to change the world. To be honest, you have the same scent as the one who prevented the Eclipse from happening.”
“Kohryu…you mean my father?” Satoshi asked, and Kohaku nodded.
“I met your Father once. He didn’t fear the Youkai and believed that Youkai and humans can get along. He saved me from Youkai hunters, and he told me to wait in that village for him while guarding over the humans there. Perhaps he knew that I would meet you one day. Or maybe he felt that you could fulfill the one duty that he could not.”
“I will try my best to fulfill my duty,” Satoshi said solemnly.
Kohaku grinned.
“Very well.”