When Yuki returned to her room, she sat down beside the table and Tanuki crawled out from under her futon. He had managed to change himself into a mouse to escape the eyes of the guards. Fortunately, they did not remain in Yuki’s cell for long, as the kami realized that he now had little control over the duration of his transformative power now that he was half-mortal. He turned back just as they closed the door behind them.
“That is going to complicate matters,” the kami grumbled. “I thought that I at the least would be capable of transformation once the binding was complete. Yet, I can barely stay transformed for a few minutes.”
He made Yuki snap her fingers several times to no effect and told her that she would be unable to transform herself unless he aided her, at least at first.
“This also means that for now, we will not be able to transform at the same time. On top of that, now that I am half-mortal, I am no longer invisible to mortal eyes, and I cannot move through solid objects anymore. It seems that I underestimated how much of my powers would be lacking at the outset of all this.”
“Try not to worry,” Yuki said, attempting to mollify him, despite her growing anxieties. “We can still talk to one another. At least we still have that. Now, let’s just start with what we know. After my conversation with Lord Mashige, I doubt that the Lady is going to relent in her pursuit of me, and if he is not going to do anything else to dissuade her, we need to think of a way to escape, and soon.”
“I agree. The Lady Ishihara is not one to give up on her prey, and if she finds out that you have the Eye of the Kami, and have already bound with me, she will stop at nothing until you and I are destroyed.”
“Then what should we do?”
“To be honest, I haven't gotten that far.”
“What do you mean?” Yuki snapped. “You don't already know how we are going to escape? I thought you were certain that you could get me out of this city.”
“I haven’t had the time!” Tanuki exclaimed. “At first, I was worried about whether we would even bind, and then you were attacked, and just now you were led away. When was I supposed to come up with a plan? I told you that I could help you get out of here; I didn't say that I could do it right away.”
Yukiana exhaled heavily and then sat back on her knees. She brought her hand to her forehead and massaged it vigorously, for it was late and she was sorely tired.
“I know!” she said suddenly. “What about Sōichirō? Perhaps he could help us. Do you know him? The Tora’s heir. He has been my benefactor.”
Tanuki shook his small head sorrowfully. “I am sorry, but he left the city some time ago. It was a few days after your encounter with the Lady, I believe.”
“He couldn’t have! He is the Shōgun’s ward!”
“I am afraid that he did. I saw him depart with my very eyes, as it was done in secret. And even if he were still here, what do you think he could do for us? He has no power here, daimyō’s heir or no. This is her domain.”
Yukiana seemed to sulk upon hearing this. “Even he is gone…” she whispered to herself. “They have all left me. First, it was Kondo, then Mori-sensei, now Sōichirō.”
“But we have each other,” Tanuki insisted. “Do not underestimate that.”
“I suppose you couldn’t just turn me into a bird, and I could fly away?” she asked with a sigh.
“One day you will be able to do that and more. The problem is that even if you could transform into a bird, you wouldn't be able to fly right away. You must understand, as a shapeshifter, it is one thing to simply look like another being. To take on its essence, its nature, is another matter entirely. It takes days, weeks, perhaps even years to accomplish.”
“Then it is hopeless!” she groaned, allowing her head to fall into her hands.
“Hope has not failed us yet,” her companion said with concern, hopping into her lap. “Why don’t you rest? You are weary. In the morning, we can start afresh.”
This sounded to her like the best idea, as she was indeed exhausted from all the fright and excitement. She yawned, leaned back, and rolled into her futon, and fell asleep within moments of hitting her pillow. Tanuki, taking the opportunity to get warm, snuggled up comfortably within her arms. It was the first time that he, now being half-mortal, felt the heaviness of physical fatigue.
“So, this is the sweet sleep of mortals…” he said with a sigh.
When Yuki woke up, the kami was no longer in her arms but stood across the room staring at the floor. It was late in the morning, and her breakfast had already been brought into her room. She rubbed her eyes and tried to force herself up.
She could see that Tanuki had gotten into her food as the bowl of rice was nearly empty. Her face turned a shade of red in displeasure.
“Tanuki-san!” she scolded harshly. “We may be bound but there are some rules I would like to lay down. First and foremost, stay out of my food until I’ve had a chance at it!”
“Now that hardly seems fair,” the kami retorted. “Most of the time you are snoring away leaving it to get cold. You should know that food tastes best when it is piping hot.”
“It shouldn’t matter!” she stamped. “And... what’s this?” she asked suddenly. There, laid out before her was an entire bowl’s worth of rice spread out into a strange pattern on the floor.
“This...” the kami said proudly, “Is the Hawk’s Perch, Taka-no-jō.”
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She leaned in and squinted her eyes. It did have a map-like quality about it, and it seemed like Tanuki had used each grain to make dozens of lines on the hardwood floor. Each of the lines connected and revealed a bird’s eye view of the castle grounds. It was quite impressive considering what it was made of.
“The design is meant to be confusing, to throw off attackers,” Tanuki explained, hopping carefully over the delicate lines of rice. “But I have been in this city long enough, and at times I have taken to the sky, and this is what I have been able to remember. While the Shōgun is quite stingy in who he lets in his perfect little world, he is not so strict when it comes to mice, insects, or birds. I have been all over this city, waiting for you.”
The light of hope began to shine once again in Yuki’s bright eyes. “Tanuki! How marvelous!”
“Thank you. Now, let’s start here,” he continued, hopping over to the very center of the picture. “This is what they call the Inner Circle. You must have caught a glimpse last night when you went to check on Mori-sensei. It is the highest and most well-guarded part of the castle grounds, for it contains the palace of the Shōgun and his seven-storied keep. “We are here,” he said, pointing to one of the rice kernels on the east side of the Inner Circle. “Outside and below the Inner Circle is the Second Circle, which is surrounded by a deep moat. To the east, there is a sliver of land surrounded by another moat called the Third Circle, which acts as a kind of nexus to the entire castle. That makes up the entirety of the central region, which is reserved for the Shōgun, his kin, and his most valuable servants. From the Third Circle to the Inner Circle, there are many gates, and they are all heavily guarded, but we can worry about that later.”
The kami shifted over to the east side of the map. “The central region is surrounded by five baileys or outer courtyards. Many of these are also walled, gated, and surrounded by moats, but not as heavily guarded, for they are quite large. Here, to the east, are the northern and southern sections of the East Bailey. This bailey is perhaps the largest, for it is the district where the daimyō have their mansions. As you can imagine, each daimyō has a permanent estate here and does not want to be outclassed by the others, so each manor is quite extravagant. Each manor can also house each daimyō’s retinue and a number of servants. Thus, there are always plenty of people milling about, so I advise we stay away from that section.
Tanuki then moved clockwise. “This is the Southeast Bailey. It houses the Shōgun’s high-level retainers and servants. Here the Shōgun had his own personal forges, stables, artisans, and all kinds of other useful and skilled craftsmen. It is busy day and night, and therefore it is another place we should avoid.”
Moving on, the kami stepped into the Southwest Bailey. “As you can see, this looks a bit more promising. The only problem is that inside this vast, wooded region, the Shōgun has his secondary palace, and right now it is frequently occupied by the prime consort, Lady Ishihara herself.”
Yuki shook her head. “Then we cannot go there.”
“I agree, which brings me to the Western Bailey. This might be a good option for us. It's extremely large, but it is full of woods and winding paths, making it easy to hide and stay concealed. Because it is rather far from the Inner Circle, it is not as heavily patrolled. The only downside is that it has only one gate leading in and out.”
“We only need one,” she reminded him.
“That is true, but when you are on the run, it helps to have options.”
Tanuki skipped up to the top part of the map. “This is the Northern Bailey. Right now, the Shōgun uses it as a kind of glorified herb garden. It is rather tranquil, and not so heavily guarded. It has three closely placed gates, here, here, and here. And the most interesting point is that there is a small, albeit heavily guarded bridge, that connects it directly to the Inner Circle.” With that, Tanuki sat down and panted with his tongue out, as if he were fatigued from the long explanation.
“Well, that is good start at the least. I suppose the next thing to do is to keep an eye on the patrols.”
“I could do that,” her kami volunteered. “I could transform into an insect or some other inconspicuous beast, but the problem is that if I lose my transformation, I am no longer covered by my invisibility now that I am half-mortal. If I am seen, it will not go well.”
Yuki winced. “We cannot allow you to be caught. That would end our escape before it even began.” She closed her eyes and thought hard for a minute. “Do you know of any animal with an exemplary sense of hearing?”
At this Tanuki perked up. “Why, of course! Why didn't I think of that before? We could listen to the patrols. We could figure out who was coming and going before even seeing them.”
“And before them seeing us,” she added.
Tanuki examined the map laid out before them with care. He spoke with increasing excitement as if enraptured with inspiration. “If we manage to get by the guards on the wall here and reach the Inner Circle, we could carefully make our way towards the bridge that leads to the North Bailey. Because it is a kind of shortcut, that way is heavily guarded, and rarely do they let anyone in or out unless it is an emergency, or they have express leave. It is narrow, so that only a few could go at a time, and not by horseback, only on foot. But, if I could transform you into a creature small enough, you may be able to slip through undetected. Once you are safely across, you will then need to hide while I do the same.”
“I like it,” Yuki said, after a few moments of contemplation. “So, if everything works out that brings us to the North Bailey. Then what?”
“Since the North Bailey is a bit like a great forested garden, it won't be as likely that we will be spotted. But just in case, I may be able to change you into a guard, and you can carry me through.”
“Why couldn't you just transform me into a guard right away?” she asked.
“The Inner Circle is where the best and most able guards are stationed. They may very well see through the disguise or be suspicious of a newcomer. Down on the lower levels, we have a much better chance of being ignored, which is what we want.”
“Well, what do you think they will say when they see me holding a feral animal in my arms?
“I am sure you will think of something. And do I really look feral? I have been doing my best to keep myself in order through all this. Now that I can be seen by the world at large, I have become a little self-conscious.” The kami inspected himself with care, combing his fluffy hair with his paws.
Yuki laughed, despite the overwhelming sense of dread hanging over them. “You look just fine. Don’t worry. Now, if we make it to one of the outer gates, what then?”
“Yes, the final stretch, as that's what it will be. For that, I have a few ideas based on our need, but it will be a close call.”
“But you believe it can be done?”
Tanuki hesitated. “Yes, I believe so. The biggest variable is my control over my powers. I simply cannot say how long each transformation will last, so we must make great haste. The more difficult the transformation and the longer I must maintain it, the less time we shall have.”
Yuki sat back, considering the plan they had just made. There were plenty of risks, but she knew that no perfect plan existed in these circumstances. She was attempting to break out of the best-guarded place on the Islands, and they did not have time to prepare. The Lady would soon learn of Misasa’s failed attempt on her life, and it would not be long before she tried again. She needed to escape, and she needed to do it soon.
“If I can get a few days of rest,” Tanuki ventured, “My powers may improve.”
“No,” Yuki said, shaking her head solemnly. “We cannot linger.”
“Then what should we do? When should we go?”
“Tonight,” she resolved. “We will go tonight.”
“Are you sure? It will be incredibly dangerous.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Yuki said, rising to her feet. She peered out of her cell’s small window, and a great power seemed to rise within her chest. “I am tired of waiting. It is time to rid myself of this prison or perish in the attempt.”