The sky was a lovely shade of blue and Yomosa was by my side. The woman that had me change more than my form and love more deeply than I had with Sajoki. Today I was able to walk beside her in my main male human form. While Yomosa accepted me for what I was, I could tell me assuming a human form comforted her.
For many weeks we had been traveling not side by side, but with me in the form of an animal that could be ridden by a human. The form I took differed day by day. Partially to relieve some of my own tensions and partially to amuse Yomosa.
But there was something different and fulfilling about walking side by side with my love. The smells in the air were clearer to me and my hope in the future was a reality.
"How much longer? I'm almost thinking this amuses you, Rig." Yomosa asked with a smile. While she must be more tired than I was, her being a human, she was able to not let her exhaustion show. Her humor was seeming to actually improve through our journey.
"Not much longer." I replied. "Once we reach the harbor things might get rough."
"Your enemies?"
"Or friends of my enemies. Which would be worse."
I put up my hand and Yomosa stopped. Things had gotten very quiet all of a sudden. While nature wasn't always loud, there was always noise. However, when there was danger things could turn silent. Then you'd only have a few seconds to react.
Was a supporter of Hijunaki coming to get me? Had Akumie decided to send something to get me?
Turning to the sound of a slight russel of leaves I saw Jirou. But he didn't look like he once had. Instead there was hunger in his eyes. Not the normal hunger but a deranged kind. My sparring buddy hadn't taken the death of Hijunaki well.
"You can have me, Jirou." I told him. "But let Yomosa leave unharmed. She didn't kill Hijunaki. I did."
A hurt expression took over Jirou's face. He made a show of putting his human, but furry, hand over his heart. "I would never attack you, Rig Katashi, you were a good friend. I didn't understand you the majority of the time, but I still consider you a friend. One of the few that I can call a friend now." He paused. "Even if you did kill our creator I would never think of harming you."
I wanted to let my guard down but didn't. Jirou was part wolf, as his lower half showed, and the hunger in his eyes was a warning that shouldn't be dismissed.
"Then why are you here?" I asked and realized how stupid that must sound. He was hunting, of course.
Jirou pointed a finger to Yomosa. "I would not harm you, Rig, but she is merely a human. I know you must think you've found love but you can find another. You always have in the past." A grin formed on his face as he spoke.
"I won't let you harm her." I said as I moved in front of Yomosa.
The grin on Jirou's face widened. "I know you won't hurt me. It's not in you to harm a friend."
"I killed my maker."
"He wasn't your friend, though."
Yomosa pulled out some wolf meat and stood beside me.
"It's fresh." She said and we both waited to see what my friend would say.
My former sparring buddy ate the fresh wolf meat greedily. He savored each bite with a lick of his lips and then went down for another bite. In another time, when Hijunaki was still alive, Jirou would not resort to eating one of his own kind. Well, a very distant relative at most. But Hijunaki was dead and Jirou seemed lost.
I ate some meat of a recent catch and Yomosa did the same. I could tell she was uneasy, though she tried her hardest to hide that fact. I had fear too. Fear that I would have to kill a friend to protect someone that I loved. A choice between the past and a possible happy future.
I pretended to focus on guarding Yomosa and Jirou from anything that would try and pose a threat to us. But I was really just focused on Jirou. Watching as he enjoyed his food and tensed up when he looked at Yomosa.
He seemed happy of the food given to him, but he saw a much better meal in my lover.
Once I finished my food I put an arm around Yomosa's shoulder. I looked Jirou in the eyes. He just smiled back at me.
"You are a good friend, Rig." Jirou said and held out a hand to me. This despite the fact that we were at least three feet apart. "You gave me food and didn't attack me when you had every right to."
"Don't remind me." I replied and let out a sigh and stood up. "But you are hungry and I trust you. Your stomach is a different matter altogether."
"Do you want me to leave?" Jirou asked and his expression became one of pain as he put has hand down. He had lost everything and was worried about losing me. We would have to part ways, I cared about Yomosa's safety as well as my own, but I didn't have to part on bad terms.
"I don't want you to leave, but I have to." I said and sat down beside my old sparring buddy. "Akumie is seeking revenge on me and I can't stay here. Yomosa has agreed to come with me even though she doesn't have to."
From the moment I had sat down by Jirou, Yomosa was doing her best to ignore us. Though I knew she'd always be watching Jirou. Making sure he didn't attack her.
"She's still angry?" Jirou asked.
"Yeah, turns out goddesses have a very long memory." I replied and tried to smirk. "Yomosa and I are heading out for a harbor that's-"
"A little far away because you can't find one closer?"
"You do remember me."
"Yes, I do." Jirou paused for a second and then continued. "And I am willing to help you."
Over the next few hours Jirou discussed with me, and later Yomosa also joined in the discussion, about another harbor. It was indeed closer and would help the two of us get off the only land I had ever known faster.
As Yomosa and I packed up our things to go, Jirou touched my shoulder and I turned to face him.
"If you are ever able to get back, will you visit me?" He asked.
"I will do my best." I said and grasped his arm.
After that exchange Jirou ran off into the vast forest and my lover and I continued our journey to the new harbor.
After two hours I finally smelled the ocean. The salty air was breathtaking to my nose. I turned to Yomosa and yelled, "Race you to the harbor!"
It was a childish thing of me to do. But once we reached the harbor we'd be so close to getting away from Japan. We'd be away from the land I had been created on. Safety, though, made the heart break worth it.
As I started to run Yomosa ran after me. We shouted at each other. Teasing each other in a way that only couples were capable of.
A roar sounded and I stopped. I saw the danger and stood in front of Yomosa. While she also saw the danger and knew the chances of me defeating it were slim, she allowed me to feel like I was protecting her. That I could protect her.
I heard the humans in the harbor yell as the Eastern Dragon got close to my lover and I.
Its scales were silver and it had purple fur running from the back of its neck to the tip of its tail. On any other occasion I would call it beautiful. But not now.
Its angry eyes showed that it was a predator and all I could hope to be was prey.
The Eastern was getting closer and closer. I felt fear like I had never felt it before. I had been against many different dangers when I was under Hijunaki's control, but I had never been protecting someone I loved. There was a difference between protecting oneself and sensing the little signs of your lover about to go into a panic.
I started to shift into something large. Something that could take down this creature. Before I could even get halfway through the change, the Eastern used its magic to throw me away from Yomosa. My half-formed body could only look at Yomosa in fear as the Eastern held me down with magic.
"You will know fear, obake." It hissed as it landed in front of my lover. "You will know fear when your human toy dies."
I could only watch. I could do nothing else. Not at this moment. Yomosa had flinched when the Eastern had tossed me aside, but she had since regained her composure. The Eastern smiled and let a little hiss of pleasure out. It lashed out with its head. It intended to easily impale my lover on its teeth. But that was not to be.
Yomosa managed to evade the attack by lunging to her right. The Eastern quickly readjusted itself and swiped at the human woman with one of its claws. My woman took a chance and it was only the Eastern's magic that made me stay still.
Yomosa had jumped at the Eastern which surprised it for a brief instant. It flicked its neck and my lover plummeted to the ground. She tried to regain her stability, but before that could happen the Eastern took her in its claws.
"The obake must suffer. My master has given me orders I have to respect." It said sorrowfully and moved Yomosa closer to its mouth in preparation of eating her.
Yomosa started to sing to the dragon and it paused for a moment. My lover was facing death with song instead of screams. She was pleading without fear. In that moment I was truly proud of her. Truly proud to have her be my own.
Then it struck me: if I didn't try to resist the Eastern's magic she would be dead. The first woman I had truly loved would die if I didn't act now.
The thought of Yomosa dying made an unknown power pour through my veins. I didn't know what flowed through me, but I knew that it could help me. I didn't care if it would damn me, I would use it now.
I yelled out as I was able to break free of the Eastern's grip. I shifted into an Eastern and roared. The Eastern turned its head to look at me and snarled. Before it could move an inch, I ran at it. My roars increasing in volume until our jaws clashed with each other.
I could tell that the Eastern hadn't eaten Yomosa and had probably discarded her. We started to fight in earnest as I made sure not to step on Yomosa. When the Eastern pushed me to the ground I looked around for my lover. I did not see her and hoped she had run off into the woods. The fight I was having with the Eastern wasn't one that a human should be involved in.
After what seemed like mere seconds, the Eastern gripped my neck in its jaws. Struggling was difficult as I could easily give the Eastern an opening. One wrong move could mean my death, in other words. But it was a chance I was willing to take.
Suddenly the Eastern let go of my neck and let out a roar. I took the opportunity to push the Eastern on its back, claw at its stomach, and clenched on its neck with my jaws. Blood came out of the Eastern slowly at first and then more quickly.
I smiled as the Eastern came closer and closer to death. It was then that I noticed something on my head and realized that it was Yomosa. She must have jumped onto me after distracting the Eastern.
The dragon turned its head to me and smiled. "Akumie sent me. I have died but there will be more pain for you, obake."
There was one final breath and then silence.
For a few minutes I looked at my kill. I was glad that the Eastern was dead and Yomosa was now safe. Probably not forever, but for now she could have some peace. She climbed off of me and looked at the dead dragon. I wish I knew human expressions better so I could decipher why her muscles were reacting like they were.
I shifted back into my main human male form and then walked over to my love. The Eastern looked very different from this level. It was not merely a foe and could be mistaken for a demigod. Humans were very different in so many ways.
I put an arm around Yomosa and she put her head onto my chest. I let her have a few minutes of looking at the Eastern before I started speaking.
"It won't come for you again." I told her.
"I know it won't." Yomosa said softly. "But there will be others, won't there? Things much worse than this?"
I wanted to tell her that this was as bad as it was going to get. There would be nothing else that would be worse. But Akumie was a goddess and I couldn't lie to the woman beside me.
"Yes." I replied simply.
I kissed the top of Yomosa's head to try and calm her. I was better equipped to fight the forces of Akumie than Yomosa would ever be. But my lover had shown herself to be brave and remarkable on her own. That wouldn't change the fact that she had been thrown into a new lifestyle quickly. A lifestyle that meant fighting and facing your fears so that death wouldn't claim you. It was understandable why Yomosa was nervous now.
"Is the Akumie you mentioned the same one that this creature meant?" Yomosa finally asked.
"Yes." I said and was about to stop there but had to continue. "Its and my Akumie are one and the same. She was angered that I used her for sex and she has never forgiven me since. Only now is she coming after me."
But had it only been for sex or had there been something more? Something that I had ignored because Sajoki's ghost had still haunted me back then?
"Why won't she come after you personally? Is she too frightened of you?" Yomosa asked.
I let out a small chuckle at the thought. A goddess being afraid of an obake would be a sight to see.
"No, there must be another reason. She must be banished from Japan or something else must be keeping her from attacking us directly." I answered.
"So if we leave Japan there's a chance we might have to face Akumie ourselves?" Yomosa timidly asked.
"Yes. Do you still want to follow me?"
"Until the end of time." She answered and we embraced. I enjoyed feeling the warmth and found it a comfort. Even if I were to die in a second I would face death with the knowledge that someone had loved me in life. That someone was willing to die by my side.
We finally ended our embrace and stood in silence looking at each other. I didn't know how I looked to her but I knew how she looked to me. A strong and loyal woman that I had ripped from her intended husband, given to Hijunaki, had killed Hijunaki to keep safe, and now loved me like I didn't deserve.
We nodded and walked side by side down to the harbor. She stayed a foot away from me so I would have room to attack if need be. Any joy that could be found racing each other had been taken away.
Upon arriving at the harbor we were glanced at by uninterested eyes. By the expressions of the people there, they hadn't noticed that I wasn't human and just that two Easterns had attacked each other. They didn't look to be questioning why but just trying to get back to business.
"Are you really going that far?" The captain asked in disbelief. "Do you really expect me to lend you space on my ship to go that far? Do you really think I would risk my ship on such a venture?"
I made sure that I was calm before I answered him. "I can pay you very well."
The captain shook his head. "The point is that my business puts my ship's priority above everything else."
Yomosa turned to me as if my powers extended to controlling minds. I shook my head and tried to think of anything that I could say to this captain.
"I am sorry to waste your time." I replied and bowed.
The captain bowed and we parted ways.
"It doesn't seem anyone is going to let us use their ship." Yomosa said quietly when the captain was out of earshot.
"Yeah, guess I must have lost my charm." I said and smirked. I didn't smirk because I was happy or the situation was amusing. I smirked to try and make her feel better. She finally replied with her own small smile but it quickly faded away. Asking for a ship was a hard venture for two 'common people' that asked for a lot. This task was affecting us both.
"But you'll be able to find one." Yomosa replied confidently.
"Or we'll have to resort to another plan."
"And that would be?"
"You'll see it if I ever have to use it."
I entertained the notion that one captain would agree to my request. That one captain would allow us our very odd desires. Turning to look at Yomosa I saw that she still had confidence in me, but that she wasn't blind to the facts. The facts being that I would most likely have to resort to another plan.
"Just don't kill anyone." She whispered in my ear.
I understood the reference. Don't kill anyone like I had killed her intended husband.
For the next few hours we went asking the rest of the captains for the use of their ship. But they were all turned off when they found out we wanted to leave Japan and it was a journey no ship would likely return from. So the captains rejected us. One by one they said no.
Finally the last captain walked angrily away from us. I stared at the open ocean. A sight I had been used to seeing as a wall, not as something you could go across. I had freed myself from Hijunaki. I had freed myself from Katashi's teachings. But I hadn't yet freed myself from the notion that the whole world wasn't the part I had grown up in.
"It's scary for you, isn't it?" Yomosa asked as she put a hand on my shoulder. I didn't look at her but continued to stare at the ocean.
"Yes, I think it's scary for you too." I replied.
"It is, but I can't let that get to me. If I did, I'd regret it my entire life."
"Because you gave me up?"
"Partially. But also that I let fear get the better of me when I've been fearless for so long."
"I wouldn't blame you if you left me now."
"But I would." She said and squeezed my shoulder.
I finally decided to look at her and I was ashamed at asking her for so much. But also proud that both love and a desire for bravery were having her go along with me.
"Do you want to hear the backup plan?" I asked her. Yomosa's smile was the only thing I needed to continue speaking. "I take on the form of an Eastern Dragon and fly us to our new destination."
"How long will you be able to fly?" She asked.
"Long enough." I said and Yomosa nodded.
We then walked away from the harbor like we were going to spend personal time together. Time when groans and moans would be things best left to only us two. No one looked at us and the captains seemed glad to see us go.
Yomosa and I made our way to where the corpse of the Eastern lay. No one had yet been brave enough to look for it and other animals were only beginning to eat it. A dragon was something to be feared, even by things that couldn't fully comprehend them.
I focused and felt myself changing. It was a normal thing for me. Something I had been born to do. My main human male form shifted to become larger so that the form of an Eastern Dragon could be accommodated. My skin then broke out into scales and my hair stayed on my head but then went all the way down to a few inches beyond the tip of my tail.
After a few more changes I was an Eastern. I went down to allow Yomosa to climb aboard me. She kissed my head and then found a place to sit comfortably. Or at least a place she wouldn't fall off from.
"I love you more than I have loved anyone before." She told me. "And you have changed more than I thought possible. Just wanted to say that in case this is the last conversation we are to ever have."
"You have opened my heart in ways I didn't think possible." I told her and then I was swimming through the air to a fate, as of yet, unknown.
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Links of Sushi, Sake, and Tanuki
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