"What you did, Rig Katashi, was not becoming of someone of your station in life." Hijunaki said. I bowed my head in shame. Especially because he had put a very harsh emphasis on the word Katashi. What I had done to Akumie had been found out. She hadn't been happy and the news had gotten to Hijunaki.
"Instead of showing her how great my palace is you showed her that I can only create slime." He continued. "If Akumie hadn't ordered me to keep you alive I would kill you now. I would think that she would be much madder considering the circumstances."
I was confused and frightened. If an angry goddess had let me live that only meant that she wanted time to think about how she would kill me. What confused me was that there could be a circumstance that would make being used worse than another circumstance. "What circumstances, Hijunaki?" I asked.
"The fact that her old lover has recently died." He hissed. "The fact that you are the first lover she has taken since his death."
I was taken aback. I didn't know whether it was because I felt insulted or that I felt ashamed. It felt like an insult because it made the deed too easy. A mourning widow is easier to comfort than a happy wife. It felt like I was ashamed because I had cut her deep and probably would never be forgiven. I couldn't decide which emotion or reasoning was stronger.
For the next hour Hijunaki used words to do what arrows could only hope to do. He was finally cut off when Akumie came in. She was beautiful, as always, but an anger could be sensed coming out of her. It consumed her and seemed to make her a different being.
Hijunaki bowed to her and I could only stand up straight. This wasn't because I was trying to anger her more, but it was because her gaze had frozen me in fear. As she walked closer to us I was afraid I was going to die. That Akumie hadn't needed that long to figure out how she wanted to kill me.
"Hijunaki, I thank you for your hospitality. Your kindness is not something I will ever forget." Then Akumie turned to me and I could see that her face showed no emotion, but I still felt anger coming from her. "But some of your creations do not have that same hospitality."
Hijunaki, still bowed, asked, "But the actions of my creations will not make you forget your favor of me?"
"Of course not." She replied and then left. Not by walking, but by turning into lightning and shooting off into the distance. With her absence gone, I felt fear. Now that she was gone I knew what would happen to me would be painful. And that would be putting it lightly.
Hijunaki turned his head to me and looked me straight in the eyes. Within the blink of an eye I was tied and floating above the pool I had bathed in earlier. The one that I had washed all of the wetness from Akumie off. But now it smelled extremely salty. I heard, and then felt, a lash on my back. Every time it came down I was pushed down into the water.
The lash had spikes like dragon's fangs and the salt felt like claws digging in deeper. It didn't help that I felt like I was going to drown. Each time I tried to yell I couldn't hear myself. After what must have been years I lost consciousness.
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