It had been a few days since I had killed Hijunaki. Killed my own creator. It could've brought me nightmares if I had thought about it for a little bit. The reason I hadn't thought that much about it was the woman riding me now.
I was in my Shika Deer form and she was on my back. I was tired and couldn't wait until we arrived somewhere I could rest. The problem with this form was that I didn't feel free. I couldn't jump up and fly to save time. No, I could only run.
I huffed and Yomosa, the lovely woman on my back, scratched behind my ear.
"Don't worry, Rig, we'll be there soon." She said in her calming voice. That voice, as well as her scratching behind my ear, calmed me down. Now I remembered the reason for taking her with me. I had feelings for her. Were they feelings of love? I didn't want to go down that path. Not now.
I was Rig Katashi and I had found something worth living for.
After a few hours of hearing Yomosa's voice I saw a farming village. She quickly jumped off and I shifted into my main human form. As soon as I shifted forms I stretched to test out the limbs of my current form.
"Tell me again why I had to shift into a different form before we reached this village." I complained as soon as I finished stretching.
"Because you said you didn't want to arouse suspicion." Yomosa replied.
"And why did I have to change at all?"
She walked over to me and gave me a kiss. "Because you love me."
We shared a smile and I wished I could admit to what she had just said. We then turned back to looking at the village.
"You haven't lived among humans that much, have you?" She asked.
I shook my head. "Not since Sajoki and Tamui."
Yomosa gave me a smile and that gave me the strength to go into the village.
It was frightening going into the village since these people were humans. Yomosa was human but, again, I had feelings for her. I couldn't say the same thing about the others.
"Where are you people from?" One man asked me after we had asked for a room.
"Around." I replied. "I can't say much more than that. We've been on the run and it's better that you not know more than that."
The man smiled, sensing my lie. "As long as you don't bring trouble we don't mind."
"We'll be gone as soon as we can." I replied and could tell that he was happy for the news. This was a small village and so his reaction was normal. I could tell that Yomosa was slightly insulted, though.
After a few minutes he brought Yomosa and I to a small room. "Thank you." I said and bowed.
"Just keep that promise." The man said and bowed down higher than he needed to.
As soon as he left Yomosa kissed me.
"So we're on the run now?" She said and laughed.
"I thought it was a good excuse." I replied and we let ourselves go. Letting our bodies intertwine in which ways they wanted to.
* * *
"Why do you stay with me?" Yomosa asked, rolling over in the bed.
I shifted to a no form and then shifted back into my main human male form. She laughed and I tried to bring a smile to my face. Truth was that I loved her more than I had ever loved Sajoki. But I had never told her that.
"Why does it matter?" I replied. It didn't matter since I would protect her either way. She knew I would so why did I have to say it.
"Because I want to know if I should keep following you around." She said. "Sort of useless to do if you're just going to abandon me."
"I would never abandon you." I said.
"I know. You risked your life for me."
"I just don't see another option." I replied and then looked at the rising sun. "Looks like we should break our fast now."
Our breakfast was simple and I enjoyed it. However, I missed the feeling of blood going down my cheeks. I missed the feeling of just meat, even if it was cooked. The village had animals, of course, but they saved the meat for special occasions. And two travelers stopping by didn't count as a special occasion.
After we ate our breakfast, we went to a field. The sun was shinning down on us and I looked up at it. Suddenly I felt a foot hit my ribs.
"Ow!" I yelled out and grabbed Yomosa's foot so she fell to the ground.
Being graceful she got up quickly. I decided to play fair and stay in my male human form. This didn't help her much as I had lived for millenia. All things being fair, though, she did a good job at fighting me.
Normally the fight would be done in a few seconds, but I let it go on for awhile. Partially because I liked seeing her fight and partially because she was just that good.
Finally I attempted to block her and failed. We both allowed ourselves to fall to the ground with her in my arms.
* * *
Finally there was silence. Well, unless you wanted to count Yomosa's soft breathing. And I didn't count it as it was peaceful. Her breaths were so peaceful that I hardly noticed them.
I held her slumbering form in my arms. Nothing else mattered. Hijunaki was dead and Sajoki was leaving my mind. I had another now to love and cherish. I didn't have to be held by the demons of my past. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, Yomosa would never leave me. And, really, who could ask for more than that.
I had been holding Yomosa ever since we had finished making love. It wasn't just plain old fucking, it was love. My arms, finally, were growing tired of holding Yomosa. It would've done in song for me to hold her in my arms the entire night, but this wasn't a song.
I carefully let her go and my efforts were rewarded by her staying asleep. The only movements that showed she noticed what I did was to turn over. If only I could've fallen asleep tonight.
Walking outside the room and into one of the streets, I remembered why I couldn't sleep. The street was quiet now since it was so late at night and I was left to myself. I was left to wallow in my thoughts of feeling like I was being followed.
Jirou wouldn't have followed me. I knew that as a fact. We were too good of friends for him to want to stalk and kill me.
Looking up at the stars I felt like they were looking back at me. I was afraid that they were looking at me. Specifically I was afraid Akumie was looking down at me. Why would I be afraid of her? Why would I imagine that she was looking down to kill me?
If you had pissed off a goddess you'd have the same reaction. I had made her think I loved her so that she'd have sex with me. My plan had worked, but at a high cost. She had been pissed off at me.
I shook my head and went back to sleep with Yomosa. The woman I'd protect from a goddess' wrath. When I woke up I kissed Yomosa and then went to work on the farm.
I had been working on the farm for a few hours. I imagined Yomosa lying next to me in bed just to make it through the day. I had no choice but to let myself be affected by the heat like a regular human. And humans couldn't deal with heat like I could normally.
While I thought about taking the day off I realized that I couldn't. While these humans didn't want me here I had to repay them in some form. And if they had decided it was by working on the farm, so be it.
Finally I was given some interesting work when I was told to kill a rooster. This was due to it not acting nicely to a fellow rooster. Plus, it was meat that the village wanted above all else. The rooster looked at me and realized I wasn't human. So it went to attack me.
It was almost like a mortal attacking a goddess. After a few pecks I was able to cut its head off. I didn't allow the blood coming out to go onto me. Though I allowed a smile when I knew it was dead. Looking out of the doorway I saw a fellow worker eye me oddly.
I would like to describe what I meant by that but I couldn't, not if I wanted to. It was just odd. I didn't know if it was that I couldn't read humans that well or if it actually meant something.
When lunch came I was able to eat alone with Yomosa. I looked around to make sure that no one would over hear us.
"What is it, Rig?" She asked.
"There was an odd incident when I killed a rooster today." I replied.
"Oh, come on, you're still alive aren't you?"
"Sometimes enemies strike slowly and take their times. My enemies can live for millenia."
"Come off it. Who would be after you?"
"The goddess Akumie."
"Never heard of her."
"She isn't one of the big ones." I said and we remained silent for a few minutes to make sure we weren't being observed.
"So, what did you do to piss her off?" Yomosa asked when she could.
"Said I loved her just to have sex." I replied and she slapped me. Luckily another slap didn't soon follow that one and I was able to finish my work on the farm.
Going back to our room at evening we were joking around. We opened our door expecting to find our room uninhabited and ready for some play. Whether it would be sexual or not was yet to be seen. We just had to go through the door.
Going through the door revealed it the room to be torn apart. It looked like a demon had torn through it and left in anger at not finding its prey. Had Akumie done it? Or had the villagers done it to get us out quicker?
"Don't worry." Yomosa told me. But I had to worry. For both of our sake's.
* * *
I found myself looking at Yomosa's sleeping form again. She knew I was there and would find my watchfulness comforting. Well, more the former than the latter would make her less likely to suddenly attack me. Her breathing seemed more worried. And why wouldn't it be? Our room had just been torn through and now there was danger.
Though our room wasn't like Hijunaki's Palace, it was still ours. We hadn't been here for as long as I had been at the Palace, Yomosa didn't have the lifespan for one thing, but at least we had been here for a little while. The invasion was most likely just a threat as we were both alive. Yomosa to sleep and myself to watch. But for what reason was the threat meant?
I quickly stood up and prepared myself to fight as I sensed someone, or something, enter our room. Looking at the robed figure didn't do much. For whatever it was, it wanted to be hidden.
"What do you want?" I asked sternly.
"Rig Katashi," The figure said in a sickly voice. Sickly for a human but normal for an Air Elemental. "You must leave."
"We were already thinking of leaving this village. No need to tell us we have to leave here." I replied. Though I knew that it meant something else entirely.
"You must leave this land." It said. "You must cross the ocean, which you have only seen lapping at the beaches, and find somewhere else."
"You mean leave the only land I have ever known?" I walked up close to it, but I still couldn't tell if it even had a face. "What gives you the right?"
"I want to save your life." It said without its sickly voice hindering the anger. "The one who is coming against you can't leave this land."
"And who is this one?"
"Names have power. Invoking this one's name would have devastating consequences."
I thought about what this creature was saying. It wasn't just talking about leaving a village or going into hiding. It was talking about leaving it all behind. I didn't mind leaving some memories behind, but others I couldn't dream of saying goodbye to.
"And what if I stay?" I finally asked.
"Then you are your lover will die." It replied. "It's not an easy choice. But you need to make it."
I took a few steps back and nodded.
"I have done what I can here." It replied and just disappeared.
At that exact moment Yomosa woke up.
"We have to go now." I told her.
"Why?" She asked and stared at me.
"A creature, possibly an elemental, told me that we have to leave this land so we can live." I explained and an expression of despair washed over her face.
"Are you sure?" She asked and I looked away.
"Yes." I said and then what came out next I couldn't have stopped even if I had wanted to. "I love you and I wouldn't lead you into unneeded danger."
This didn't lead to a kiss but merely an embrace that said so much more.
After many minutes we stopped the embrace. I had finally told her. I had finally admitted it to her as I had admitted it to myself before. I loved her. I loved her completely and then suddenly felt bad about telling her a lie. Such a little one but it was there.
"You don't have to leave this land." I told her. "You can stay. It is I who have to leave."
Yomosa looked at me and I was worried that she would get angry. That this moment would be ruined forever.
"I know." She finally said. "I doubt the elemental would be that concerned with me. I'm just a human."
I smiled sadly. "More than a human. Much more. But you have the choice to make. If you want to choose the safer option I will understand."
"I have already chosen." Yomosa said and planted a light kiss on my forehead. "And I am not going back."
After she spoke we started to pack up. We didn't have much but that didn't mean it took us a short amount of time to get finished. All of our belongings were spread across the room. Most of the time was spent finding specific items.
By the end of this challenge we were both worn out. I even thought that Yomosa would leave me by how high tensions got.
Many hours later we finally left the village. We didn't say goodbye or say thanks. Whatever was after me wouldn't care where the extra minutes came from. Yomosa felt bad about leaving without warning but I managed to convince her to just leave with me.
As we got a good distance from the village it turned midnight. I set up a place for her to sleep and then she lay by me. I knew a few things as Yomosa fell asleep by my side. I knew that she was the bravest human I had yet met. I knew that I'd do anything to protect. Finally, I knew that I loved her completely.
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