Strange, to see a row of stone steps on the mountainside. Was he seeing things from blood loss? He looked up; the stairs seemed to climb forever. He nodded to himself.
“If I climb those stairs, I’ll die.” He said to himself, and struggled across the stairs, clutching his belly. Blood dripped and splashed.
He slipped, and as he fell he threw out his hand to steady himself, but instead he caught nothing but air, and tumbled down the slope. He fetched up against a mammoth boulder. He grimaced, blood leaking between his fingers.
He looked up at the stone, hoping there was perhaps something to grab hold of, and to his surprise there seemed to be a thick rope running about the equator. He reached out and grabbed it; it seemed real, with a tough, fibrous texture.
He hauled himself up, but his left leg felt weak and loose and unresponsive. He released the rope and fell.
“Shit.” He whispered, and then he grinned with a frantic desperation. “Finally.” He closed his eyes, and rolled onto his back. A cool breeze blew, and a light, misty rain began to fall. A vague sense of relief stole over him.
“Oi, human.” A low voice at his side. “Open your eyes and look at me, child of man.” The voice demanded coolly.
He opened his eyes, and a young girl stared back at him haughtily. Her eyes were the color of her hair, and her hair was a brilliant lustrous gold that fell in straight lines, framing her face.
“You are not of this village.” She remarked. It didn’t seem to be a question. “And you wear the trappings of war.” She tilted her head. “You are a soldier, no? A warrior? One who kills in battle.”
He was losing strength, and his vision was dimming.
“Oi, human. I did not give you permission to die just yet.” She slapped him, and the world seemed to snap back into focus.
“Wha-” He tried to ask.
“Answer my questions, human. You are not of this village.” He nodded. Her eyebrow quirked. “You are a warrior?” He nodded again, and a corner of her mouth twitched.
“Hmmm.” She remarked thoughtfully.
“Do you wish to die, human?” She asked, finally. “There is a struggle within you. Part of you wishes to live. Part of you wishes to die.” She tilted her head. “Answer me. If you wish to die, then I will give you leave to do so. If you wish to live however, I will do what I can, but only if you give up this foolish notion of wanting to die. I will not waste my powers.”
Her eyes moved. “You have lost a lot of blood. Your life hangs by a thread, human. Answer me quickly.”
The world dimmed. vaguely he could feel the impact of her second slap, but he could not register any sensation of pain. Her dry, acerbic voice was muffled and faint. The world grew dark.
There was a feeling of being tossed about, as if he were on the desk of a ship in the middle of a heavy storm.
Do you want to die? her acerbic tone, faint.
I want to die. Did he say that?
If you die now, I- a new voice, familiar. Who was it? brown hair, a quick smile.
I am ready. Yes, he was ready. He was more than ready, since that time in the snow years ago; bodies heaped atop bodies.
Do not let him die. He knew that voice. Who was it?
You presume to tell me..? that acerbic voice from the blonde girl, again.
Please.
A great sigh of frustration, as if a thousand summer breezes blew through a thousand forests on a thousand summer days, all at once.
He opened his eyes. Thick beams crisscrossed overhead.
“I should not have helped him.”
“Come now, Shizuka-sama. Surely you did the right thing!” A young female voice argued.
“He should not be here.” The dry voice of the young girl from before replied.
“What’s more concerning is his wounds. Where did he get them?”
A tisk of frustration. “The beastmen are about again, most likely.”
A short intake of breath. “I see.”
“What are you looking at me for, human? It falls to you to fulfill your duty to the shrine and cleanse the land of their corruption.”
“Ehh? I'm not ready, though.”
“You’re the only one who can, human. They are outside the boundary stones of the shrine.”
“I’ve never had to fight before.”
“You have trained, human.”
“That’s different!”
“Not so.”
He raised his hand and flexed it in front of his face. His strength seemed to be returning. He glanced around. He was in a plain, featureless room, with woven mats on the floor. There was a simple blanket over him. Off to the side there was a small pile of pouches and bags and bundles; his gear.
He sat up, and took stock of himself. He seemed to have been healed. He was hungry, but a hot meal would fix that. He took off the shirt he was wearing, and reached into his pack and pulled out another and pulled that one on. He stood, and from another pouch pulled out a simple leather vest; over that he slipped his heavy leather cloak with a bear-fur collar and draped that over his shoulders, and found a battered hat that he jammed haphazardly on his head. He took his time getting everything squared away, and he shouldered his pack and took a step towards the door.
The door slid open, and the little blonde girl came in. She wore a simple purple kimono with a flower print. Her golden eyes turned up to his.
“Oh, up and about, I see. Where do you think you are going?”
“I’m leaving.” Daveth replied.
“Do you think I would let you?” She asked, looking up at him.
He frowned thoughtfully. “Do you think you could stop me?” He asked, and she grinned widely, displaying teeth.
“Depends on whether you want food or not, human.”
He laughed, and she joined in.
“Yeah, I could use some food.” He replied, and she nodded.
“Meiko!” She barked. “Our guest has awakened. Fetch some food.” She looked up at him thoughtfully. “Come along, human, I will show you to the dining hall.” She slipped out the door gracefully, long hair swishing with each step.
“I have a name, you know?” He asked. She turned, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
“Is that so?” She asked. He nodded.
She shrugged. “Since you have not introduced yourself, I have no way of knowing it.” She replied casually.
“Daveth.” He replied, and he could see her mouth shape the syllables.
“The dining hall is there, human. Try not to scare Meiko overmuch.” She stated, and slipped her hands in her sleeves.
“You’re not human.” He remarked, and her eyes slid to him.
“Oh? is that so?” She asked. He nodded.
She shrugged. “Perhaps.” A young girl appeared at the other end of the hall, dressed in a white jacket and red pants.
“Ah, good. Meiko.” the blonde announced, and glided over towards her. “Have a seat, human, and we shall bring you food.” she called as she approached the other girl.
There was a long, low table, with cushions evenly placed along the sides. Any seat was functionally no different from any other, so he seated himself towards the end because he liked the flower decorations in the low basket in the center of that portion of the table, and noticed that both girls were watching him. The blonde had a small smile on her face as she helped the other one with the trays of dishes.
“Shizuka-sama, you shouldn’t.” Meiko urged at the girl as she took a tray of bowls from the cart.
“Nonsense, girl. Who else is here to do so? Besides, I am hungry too.”
Shizuka seated herself gracefully, and passed him various bowls as Meiko did the same, sitting next to her.
“This is potatoes and carrots. This is chicken, cooked in peppers, onions, and oils.” Shizuka announced to contents of each dish as she handed them to him. “Beans, boiled, buttered, and salted.”
“Salted?” He asked, and her hand stopped and her eyes moved to his face. “Yes. Is there a problem?” She asked.
“Salt is very expensive.” He remarked, and she smiled, but shook her head.
“Only inland is it expensive. We are not terribly far from the coast, and humans bring offerings in exchange for amulets and charms of protection.”
Daveth, aware of their eyes on him, carefully picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat. Meiko and Shizuka eyed him for a moment.
“You use them well, human.”
Daveth nodded. “I once served with a couple of Yamato archers. They taught me well.” he laughed a little. “Now tell me of these beastmen.”
Meiko opened her mouth in shock, and then closed it. Shizuka glanced at her, and frowned a little.
“It is not a matter for you, human. This is a Yamato matter.”
He smiled a little. “So I can’t take revenge for the hole in my gut they gave me?” He asked, and Shizuka’s mouth twisted.
“Ah! If Daveth-dono were to handle the beastmen, then I would not have to!” Shizuka suddenly piped up in a cheerful voice, shooting a glance at Meiko. “-Is what you were thinking, girl. Don’t think I cannot notice something so plainly written on your face.” Shizuka remarked in her acerbic tone.
“I would ask that you not interfere, human.” She said, directing this to Daveth. “This is Meiko’s trial.”
She glanced at him. “You seem well-traveled, human. Know you of the Yamato Shrine Maidens?” She asked. He nodded.
Shizuka nodded back sagely. “Shrine Maidens exist within the lands as servants and stewards, purifying it of taint and corruption.” She took a drink of her tea. “Well, part of it is ritual. Part of it is combat. Up until now, Meiko has not engaged in combat, but make no mistake, it is part of her responsibility.” She shrugged. “Well, for a Shrine Maiden, combat is in itself a ritual of sorts.”
Daveth nodded. “Makes sense. I assume you speak of magical corruption? Mutation, and things of that nature?” He asked, and she nodded.
“You are perceptive. Yes. Magic is part of the land, but it can taint and poison the land. The Yamato-jinja exist to stabilize and purify the land wherever corruption arises.”
“Jinja?” he asked, and she nodded. “The yamato word for shrine, or temple.” She took a breath. “You are currently in the Araya-jinja of the fishing village Hitotsuna. It was not originally intended to be a Yamato village, but many Yamato came here before the War of Liberation to venerate and protect their Seer, Araya.”
He’d been here before.
Back before- He cut the thought off before it could complete itself.
He shrugged. “I’m not familiar with that name.” He mentioned, and Shizuka nodded. “As expected of an outsider. Well, I’m not surprised you have not heard of Araya. She was a powerful diviner, a dreamer of dreams and a seer of visions. She came here hundreds of years ago, and many Yamato came with her.” She gestured at Meiko. “Meiko here is the last surviving descendant of Araya, though as incompetent as she is, you wouldn’t know it.”
Meiko grumbled. “You don’t need to go that far, Shizuka-sama.”
“You should stop moping about, then, and face your responsibilities.” Shizuka chided.
Daveth stroked his beard and tapped a finger against his lips thoughtfully.
“If you like, I could supervise. There are quite a few beastmen, after all. If she’s as inexperienced as you say, I could support her.”
Shizuka’s eyebrows rose. “I had not considered...” She trailed off.
Daveth took a breath. “Beastmen are fearsome creatures alone. If there’s more than one, she’s going to be overwhelmed quickly. She’ll need the help.” He smirked a little. “And I have a debt to repay.”
Shizuka’s eyes slid to his face, and then back to Meiko’s.
“So you are aware that there is a debt. I am pleased that you would want to make reparation.” She replied.
“Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot.” He remarked sharply. “And I’m offering to help. If there’s a stricture, or a taboo, I understand, but...” He trailed off. Shizuka gave him an appraising glance.
“I approve.”
As Daveth and Meiko walked down the long, seemingly endless flight of stone steps, Daveth could see that Meiko was put off by his presence.
“Are you the only Shrine maiden here at this temple?” Daveth asked. Meiko jolted at the sound of his voice. She nodded. “Yes. And I am just an acolyte. My temple sisters have been murdered by the beastmen.” She sighed. “Now there is only me, and Shizuka-sama is training me.”
“You’re going to have to do a bit of killing, too.” Daveth mentioned, and she nodded. “We have training in hand-to-hand fighting, and temple weapons: The yumi, the naginata, and the temple sword.”
“Temple sword?” Daveth asked. Meiko nodded. “It’s like a katana, but heavier. there are holes in the blade that have rings threaded through them. Also, charms or bells can be attached as well.”
Daveth nodded thoughtfully at this.
Meiko pointed. “Down there is Hitotsuna. It is mostly a fishing village. We have rivers abundant with fish and freshwater clams. There is a dock that you can take a boat to the sea, although I have never gone.”
“Who murdered your sisters?” Daveth asked.
“There is a tribe of snake-type beastmen nearby that we have been purifying. Bit by bit we were pushing them back; and then one day they attacked the temple and many of my sisters were slain. The Shrine Priestess gathered some sisters and left to attack the beastmen, and they never returned. Shizuka-sama believes they are dead, though she does not explain how she knows this.” She shrugged helplessly. “Now I am the only one remaining.”
“There’s no shame in mourning them.” Daveth replied, and she nodded.
“I do mourn them.” She said quietly. “But it’s also my responsibility to live for their sake, because they can’t anymore.” She let out a bark of laughter. “At least, that is what Shizuka-sama says.”
“I get the feeling Shizuka isn’t human.” He mentioned casually. “What is she?”
“Once I heard her refer to herself as a “piece of what once was”, but really, Shizuka-sama is our shrine’s kami.” Meiko replied. “Do you know of kami?” She asked curiously.
“Why don’t you tell me about them?” He asked lightly. She nodded.
“The magic in this area is strong. There are places throughout the world that are like this. The Yamato build shrines, temples, where these places are. We purify the land of mutants, or beastmen, or you know, just the corruptive influences of magic that has been soured, poisoned.” He nodded at this.
“I follow you so far.”
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“Sometimes, if the magic is potent enough, a spirit will take form. It could be a spirit of a pond, or a mountain, or trees or whatever. This is very rare, though. Even more rare, is when they can take a physical form. Shizuka is like that.”
“So, she was originally a tree or something?” Daveth asked. Meiko shook her head. “She will not tell me what she originally was. She keeps it a very closely guarded secret.”
They reached the base of the mountain. Daveth saw the giant boulder he’d collapsed near; there were still traces of his blood on the thick ceremonial rope that encircled it.
“So where are these beastmen?” He asked. She shook her head. “We are going to a shop in town, Mister Daveth. I am going to get some small supplies, and then we will circle around the mountain and attack them.” Daveth nodded.
Hitotsuna was as she described; a small village that encompassed a river fork. On one side of the village was the mountains, on the other some rolling plains that had been terraced into rice paddies. He’s been here before, another lifetime ago.
“I’ve been thinking of making an offering to the kami at the top of the mountain.” Daveth said quietly to the older man at the store. “But I don't know what’s acceptable.”
The old man stroked his chin. “Most people leave salt, or fruit, or dried meat. Those are generally accepted.”
“Hmm. they sound... ordinary. They saved my life up there. Surely there’s something... better I can offer to show my heartfelt appreciation.”
The old man nodded.
“I’ve heard tell by my grandfather... that once upon a time there was a drought, and the rivers were very low, and there was no rain. The village gave an offering of fried tofu, and the kami at the top of the mountain made it rain from a cloudless sky. The kami did this for days on end, and we struggled through the drought.”
“Hmm. Fried tofu?” He asked. “Should I go to the inn?” Daveth asked. The old man shook his head. “I can have my grandson run over there for you if you like.”
Daveth rubbed his chin. “Well, I’m accompanying Meiko from the shrine right now. Would it be alright to have it cooked when I come back?”
The shopkeeper nodded. “Certainly, not a problem at all.” Daveth nodded and left a couple of steel coins on the counter as thanks. He stepped out of the shop, and Meiko looked up at him. “Did you find what you were looking for, Mister Daveth?” She asked, and he nodded.
“I’ll swing by and pick it up on our return trip.” She nodded, and they headed back the way they came.
“Shizuka-sama calls these caves “the foxes burrow”, but as you can see, it’s much too large for foxes.” Meiko said. “Perhaps it’s because it’s such a maze. In any case, If we follow the map, we should come out on the other side of the mountain, and in sight of the beastman tribe.”
Daveth nodded. “And then it’ll be time for you to show your stuff.” She nodded, and touched the bow on her back absently.
The ‘fox burrow’ was a series of tunnels and rooms big enough that a child could perhaps run through, and according to the map they fairly honeycombed the mountain, but as Daveth and Meiko were both larger than the average child, they stooped, and in some places had to crawl on hands and knees. They routinely stopped to check the map, and the end result was that it took a complete day to get through the tunnels.
As they reached what the map revealed to be the last chamber before coming out on the far side of the mountain, they spied Shizuka in the room, tending a small fire.
“Well, it took you two long enough to get here.” She remarked by way of conversation. “Have I your size to thank for the delays?” She asked curiously, head slightly tilted. Daveth nodded, and Shizuka smiled. “Well, ‘tis still faster than going around the mountainside itself.” She remarked.
She gestured at the fire. “Come and sit. I have brought you some food to eat for your supper.”
They ate, lay out their bedrolls, and each laid out to sleep with the exception of Daveth, who moved down the last tunnel and emerged outside behind some dense shrubbery. Daveth carefully trimmed away some of the shrubs so that the entrance was still concealed, and stepped away and sat on a boulder.
Below them was a low valley, with patches of woods and shrubs here and there.
“Hello, human.” Shizuka remarked as she seated herself next to him. He nodded. “What do you think of my valley?” She asked. He dipped into his coat and pulled out a pipe and a pouch of tobacco, and lit it carefully. After he had puffed contentedly for a bit, he glanced at her, and then at the valley.
“The valley is yours?” He asked. She shrugged a little and from her sleeve pulled out her own pipe, and made an imperious gesture. He chuckled and passed his pouch to her. After she had lit and puffed a few times, She replied, “I was born in this valley. I played in this valley. When I became an adult I hunted here. I-” She glanced at him and cut whatever she was going to say short. “I have been here forever, and forever I should remain.”
“If Meiko dies-” He started, and Shizuka glanced at him sharply. He shrugged. “If she dies, what will happen to the Shrine? Will you move to another?” He asked. She shook her head. “I cannot leave this land. And to answer your other question, I would tend the shrine as well as I can.”
He pursed his lips in thought and stroked his beard. “Would it be impolitic to ask another Shrine for assistance?” He asked, and her eyes widened.
“No, it would not.” She replied, and then he grinned. “If you like, I could carry some correspondence for you. If I come across another shrine, I could tell them of your troubles.”
“And what would your price be to do this?” She asked.
He raised his eyebrows wonderingly. “I didn’t consider price at all, Shizuka.” He remarked.
Her eyebrows rose at that. “Truly?” She asked wonderingly.
He shrugged. “How burdensome is it to carry a letter?” He asked, and rolled his eyes.
“You are a strange human indeed.” Shizuka remarked, and then frowned. “To one such as yourself, i should be addressed formally: Sonozaki-sama would be appropriate.” She stated, and he chuckled.
“I’ve eaten your food, I’m helping your acolyte, and I’ve shared my tobacco with you. I think we’re a little too close for formality.” He remarked, and she smiled.
“We are, at that.” she agreed.
“So how far should I go with the beastmen tomorrow?” He asked, and she glanced at him curiously.
“Should I cut off a limb or two and let her kill them? Should I bash them over the head with a stick?” He asked. “Should I stand aside and let her be cut down if the one that got me with the sword yesterday strikes?” He asked. “How much should I involve myself?” He asked. A short wind blew and Shizuka moved closer to him on the low rock they shared, and glanced up at the stars in the sky.
“She fears combat.” Shizuka started. “She needs to know that she is capable of fighting properly.” She let out a slow breath and pressed her back against his side. “Do not let her die.” Shizuka said. “But do not help her overmuch, either.” She smiled a little. “A scar would be a great reminder for future fights.”
She glanced up at him. “I am trusting you with a great deal, human.” He nodded and puffed on his pipe.
“You should sleep, human.” She remarked, and got up and moved back up to the tunnel entrance and disappeared inside. Daveth got up and stretched, twisting so that his back popped, and then moved up to the tunnel and fell asleep.
His dreams were normally a confusing maze of strange images, colors, and sounds. For the longest time, his dreams had been like this, and he couldn’t remember anything different. There was always a low feeling of anxiety and fear that accompanied these dreams, though it dissipated by morning. This dream, however, had an uncomfortable vibrance that could not be shaken.
*****
She was often accused by her peers as being fickle, whimsical, inconsistent, but that was wrong.
When she’d been but a kit, running through the warren of tunnels and chasing after her kin in play, a time had come when her vulpine mind was suddenly blasted with strange knowledge.
None of her kith or kin seemed to know or understand or care, and it was only after long thought spent staring at her paws as her brothers and sisters dashed through tunnels, chased mice and squirrels, and frolicked and gamboled in the lands that were theirs since time immemorial that she understood that the reason they didn’t understand was that they couldn’t.
Their minds, such as they were, were comprised of layers of genetic imperatives, instincts, and the simple knowledge passed down from parent to child. The games her siblings played were simply lessons to be used in hunting, attracting mates, escaping danger, fighting.
She was aware in a way that they never would be, and a terrible loneliness grew in her because, try as she might, she could not communicate with her own family.
Strange two-legs came to the land, though they rarely ventured into the wilderness where her family dwelled. She watched them, sometimes. They walked upright, they cut down trees and cut the high grass and built for themselves dens. She didn’t understand why they would do such things. If they needed dens, wasn’t a warren a suitable place? Could they not burrow as her family did?
She watched as they talked to each other. She couldn't understand what they were saying, of course, but she grasped the import of communication. She wanted someone to talk to, the same way the two-legs spoke with each other. No matter how she yipped and barked at her family, they didn’t- couldn’t- understand her need.
Slowly, she began to understand their language, though she could not speak it herself. As her intelligence expanded, so did her frustration. She wanted to speak, and be spoken to. She wanted to learn and understand. Her tiny paws couldn’t grasp anything; her attempts to speak were brushed off as chattering yips and barks.
An idea came to her as she studied the village the two-legs- “people” they called themselves- if she couldn’t communicate with them with her current body, perhaps she could craft for herself a new body. Maybe the knowledge had always been there. Lately it seemed that whenever she thought of something, a way opened itself for her to understand how to do it. And so it was that one early morning, the villagers were surprised to see a young naked girl with a long, tufted tail and large, alert ears stumble towards their village on feet that had never been used to walk upright.
Then came a new surprise; it wasn’t simply necessary to know words in order to communicate, they needed to be arranged to be understood. Her first halting speech was a rambling, incoherent stream of random words she’d picked up here and there as she crept through their village.
The villagers eyed her with alarm and suspicion, but they gave her clothes to wear- she didn’t understand it at first; what was the point of clothing if you had fur? But then she understood that they didn’t have fur of their own when the cold winds blew and they huddled and shook and shivered.
The villagers spoke with her and fed her; that was a wonder; all she had known for food was rabbits, mice, birds, and the occasional snake. Their food was hot and flavored and she burned her lips and tongue more than once during her first meal.
She stayed away from their fire, however. Everyone knew that fire was deadly.
She wanted to stay and learn, but whatever ability she had used to transform herself into a human was fading quickly. Her limbs were sluggish and weak, and her head pounded frightfully, so she slipped away and returned to her mountain. It seemed that there, at least, she was strong enough to maintain her form.
Those that knew her grew old and passed away. Her brothers and sisters and family grew older, moved in search of new burrows, dens of their own. Humans were endlessly interesting, but strange and forceful, and although her newly-understood sense of pride would not allow her to appear intimidated, she missed her family, and began to spend less and less time with humans. In time she shed her clothes and returned to her original form and her home.
Though her wisdom was vast and her intelligence outstripped any other fox, she took a mate and birthed children in the hopes that they too would inherit her understanding. Alas, they were perfectly normal kits that frolicked and gamboled in much the same way as she and her siblings had done when they were kits, so long ago.
She was affectionate towards them, but loneliness had begun creeping in at the edges of her mind again, and so she donned her clothes, assumed her human form for the first time in a century, and ventured out into the village.
No one recognized her. The names of people she had spoken with had all grown old and passed away. They had left behind stories of her and her endless interest in the things that they did, including some rather embarrassingly exaggerated tales of powers and abilities she had never claimed to have.
Once the humans were becalmed and settled, she began to understand what it was that they wanted from her. Some legend that had sprung up about her was that she could make the rains come. The village was in danger. The rains had not come in some time, and their crops would not grow. Without crops, they would have to slaughter their livestock, and where would they be then?
Her pride kept her from asking what they meant by that.
She returned to her mountain to think on the problem. She began to understand that somehow her mountain home was the source of the power that allowed her to keep her human form, so she sat and she pondered. What was weather to a fox? When it was sunny it was sunny. When it was cold, it was cold. She had food in her belly when she was hungry, her kits and her mate to keep her company.
A new degree of understanding came to her in the same mysterious way in that she gained self-awareness, to learn the human language, that taught her the ability to switch her form at will.
Warm air sucked up moisture, cooler air caused it to form droplets, and out of a cloudless sky, rain began to fall, and the village praised and thanked her and gave her offerings. She particularly liked the fried foods they gave her, after they had cooled to a suitable temperature.
She discovered something new: when they paused and thanked her and brought her offerings, the depth of her powers grew. She could spend longer and longer time away from the mountain and her den.
It was then that the people told her of another human village across the river. Much larger, much older and much more vast than she was capable of understanding. Her ears went up at this, but her pride would not allow herself to be awed and frightened, and so she boarded a boat and sailed across the great waters to a stone city known as Einsamkeit.
It was much too loud, too busy, too crowded for her, and her strength, husbanded closely, fled her quickly and so the villagers found her, a tiny fox, curled up in their boat atop her kimono.
She barely had the strength to crawl to her den. She dragged herself there, drawn like a needle to a lodestone, but it was laborious work and her consciousness flickered like one of the human’s candles.
It was then that she found the nourishment to grant her strength to carry on. She was able to return to her burrow, and it was there that she learned of the fire. Perhaps a human set it. Humans had an unwholesome affection for fire. Perhaps it was from lightning. Sometimes lightning would strike a tree and it would explode into flames. Those were times when it was necessary to hide deep in the warrens and tunnels of her family and huddle together until the danger passed.
But her family wasn’t there. As her power returned, her awareness returned, and she understood exactly what she had fed on to grant her the strength to carry on.
In her fox form, she wandered her burrows, crying for those she knew would never return; in her human form she was deathly silent and shivered with guilt and shame over what she had done.
The villagers remembered her, though. They praised her for all manner of things she was not responsible for, thanked her for things she never did, and brought her offerings of things they thought would please her.
And then the Shrine Maidens showed up and made a big deal about her and her supposed strength and power and unfathomable wisdom. The villagers spoke to the Shrine Maidens and related great tales and miracles she had performed in which she had never once participated.
She was often accused by her peers as being fickle, whimsical, inconsistent, but that was wrong. Carved into her heart and her eyes was the mark of madness.
*****
Daveth opened his eyes and took a breath. Where was he? Overhead, there were small roots from the dirt ceiling. Ah. The Yamato shrine, the tunnels through the mountains. Today, Meiko was to make war against a tribe of beastmen by herself with naught but a bow.
Daveth turned his head and caught Shizuka adjusting the collar of her kimono. she caught his eye and nodded a greeting. She held a finger to her lips and pointed at Meiko’s bedroll, and he nodded and sat up carefully, scratching absently at his chest. He glanced down at his shirt and rebuttoned it absently, and joined Shizuka as she prodded the fire and settled a kettle into the coals for tea.
She passed him a wooden plate that had grilled fish, mounded high with steaming vegetables and rice. How had he not smelled it cooking? He frowned.
“You sleep pretty deeply for a warrior.” Shizuka mentioned. He frowned in confusion. “I touched your foot several times to get you to wake and still, you slept on.” Shizuka reported.
He shook his head wonderingly. “I can't explain it. maybe I was overtired from yesterday or something.” He replied, and pulled out a battered fork from his pack and dug in. Shizuka started laughing, and Meiko woke up, blinking in her bedroll.
“You have a steel fork, mister Daveth?” She remarked, kicking her feet like a child. He nodded.
“Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable.” She laughed. He smiled. “I had a blacksmith make them for me.” He pulled out a spoon and waved it at her. She went off into gales of laughter as Meiko joined them at the fire.
Shizuka poured tea, and they ate and drank in silence.
“Snake-type beastmen are generally sluggish in the morning, and they live in caves.” Daveth said, glancing at Meiko. She stopped eating and focused her attention on him. “A small tribe usually consists of about five females and one male. Medium-sized tribes are eight to ten females and a male, and large tribes can be sixteen to twenty females and one male.” He shoveled some food into his mouth and chased it with some tea.
“They can attack from above, hanging from tree limbs and the like, they can come up from concealed burrows in the ground, and if there are rivers or lakes, they could potentially attack from there as well, which basically just means to check all quarters as you move.” He essayed. “They’re very good with grappling and constricting. If they get you in their coils, it’s all over for you. Some have a venomous bite, and I’ve heard stories of a type that can spit their venom something like fifteen to twenty feet.” He took another drink.
“If you encounter them outside of their den, you should kill as many as you can... and wound a few. The reasoning behind that is that they have a den that they call home. You want to follow them.” He polished off his tea, and Shizuka raised the teapot and raised her eyebrows interrogatively. He nodded, and she poured for him.
“Snake-type beastmen shed scales often. The floors of their dens are typically covered in a layer of scales that have built up over time. This is a weakness of theirs, because the scales are extremely flammable. Toss in a torch and kill anything that comes out.” He took a breath. “After you’ve burned them out, you want to go in and confirm your kills. Destroy all the eggs you find. The larger the tribe, the more eggs you will find. Finally, confirm the death of the male. If you can’t beat the snakes through extermination, kill the male. The male will only very rarely leave the den, so by attacking the den you attack the male. Kill the male and the tribe will break up and the females will disperse, seeking a new mate.”
“How do you know so much?” Meiko asked. He shrugged. “I killed a tribe that lived near my hometown, and I’ve spoken to others that have killed other tribes of snakemen.”
He glanced to Shizuka. “Do we have any idea where their den is?” She shook her head.
“They seem to attack further down the slope of the mountain, near the river.”
“Any caves near there?” He asked, and she nodded. “There are a few.”
*****
Daveth and Meiko returned a couple of days later. “It is done, Shizuka-sama.”
“I was down in Hitotsuna and they recommended that I bring you fried tofu.” Daveth mentioned and Shizuka sat up suddenly. Massive ears seemed to sprout from the top of her head and Daveth stepped back in shock.
Daveth smiled after the shock passed. “You really aren’t human.”
She growled at him around a mouthful of fried tofu.
He shrugged. “I knew from the start, right? This is just what you’d call confirmation.”
“You’d best be wary, human.” She warned. “For I am known as the Mad Fox for a reason.”
He nodded. “I know.”
Her golden eyes with slit pupils eyed him dangerously. “You think you know my madness?” She suddenly growled.
“I dreamed it.” He remarked, suddenly careful and wondering if he could get out a sword in time should she attack. He wondered belatedly if a sword would even work on her.
Her brows lowered even further and her tiny hands were now tiny fists. Spots of red appeared on her kimono from them as she clenched them tightly. “You dreamed it? What do you think you know, Child of Man?” She dared, the color of her eyes deepening to the orange of sunset.
“I think... it would be dangerous to say it.” He offered guardedly.
“Speak it.” She spat in a low voice.
“I don’t know how long ago it was, but you tried to cross the river to Einsamkeit. You were weakened because you were so long from your barrow, but when you came back, fire had destroyed everything. You were weak and needed to survive.” He paused, and then added in a low voice, “You ate your own kin for the strength to-”
He was cut off as her eyes went blood red and she catapulted herself at him, fangs sprouting in her mouth, wicked claws from her fingers.
“You truly do wish to die, don’t you, Son of Battles?!” She snapped, her vulpine teeth gnashing as frothy spittle splattered him. He’d caught her hands, but she lunged savagely at him again and again, trying to tear out his throat with her teeth.
“To think you could trample upon my secrets uninvited, truly you do not wish to live! I shall surely oblige you!” She shrieked, and he finally managed to shove her away.
Her tiny frame stumbled back, no match for the massive giant. She immediately shed her human form and lunged at him as a fox, as straight as an arrow, like a furry bullet. He caught her again and once more tossed her to the side.
“I didn’t want to say it!” He shouted at her, but she lunged at him again. This time he caught her, and held her over his head. He struggled to stand, holding her over his head. In the form of a fox, all she could do was fruitlessly chew on the metal-shod bracers he wore on his forearms. He held her as her limbs pinwheeled and kicked at the air fruitlessly, as her jaws grew tired. Eventually her tail drooped and she shifted back into her human form.
“...release me, human.” She ordered in a sullen voice.
Daveth warily lowered her to the ground, and she looked up at him and squinted. “I remember you, now. You were the impertinent human that picked me up all those years ago. The mercenary.”
Daveth’s face twisted. “Yeah.” He nodded. “That was me.”
She suddenly chuckled. “I see... we are alike: we both suffer under the burden of our own insanities.”
“Fuck you, Mad Fox.” He spat bitterly. She grinned widely, showing her teeth.
“I think I’m leaving.” He complained, and backed away until he left the main hall. He retreated to his room, where he packed quickly.
“So are you leaving then, human?” Shizuka asked him from the doorway as he readied his gear. He jolted in surprise as he thought he’d be able to hear coming. He eyed her warily, and nodded.
Her face twisted into a hateful expression. “Good. Do not come here again.” She spat.