Temper: Deliverance: Book Three of the TEMPER Saga, page 12
12 - A Shroud of Bloody Snow
Honda’s gasp of surprise jolted Lana wide awake. Where there had been nothing, now dozens of large foxes surrounded them, some small, others as large as or even bigger than that devil; all watched them in silence. They shone with a form of soft inner light that made them beautiful and ethereal. Still, Lana couldn’t see past their fox identity. They weren’t threatening, but no friendly welcoming vibes emanated from them either. Her group was intruding into their sacred gathering.
There was movement inside the pack, and a few parted to reveal something that wore a more human-like shape but was still so fundamentally other, that her brain couldn’t process it. Gulping hard and averting her gaze, she followed Honda who kneeled with precipitation and prostrated himself like back in the shrine. Awe and exaltation bloomed within her and suddenly, Lana realized fear had left her.
“What could a priestess of the Heiwa order want? It has been a century since one of you called upon me.” The powerful yet calm voice pressed against Lana’s skin; goosebumps broke over all her body.
“Forgive this unacceptable intrusion, O-Inari sama,” Natsuko replied with a steadiness that betrayed that this was not the first time she was in the presence of such a power. “I would never have dared disrupting you during this sacred time if I had had a choice.”
“Your order is not one to play games. Speak.”
“Please accept my humble gratitude. Because of an old and terrible curse, a member of my family has suffered extreme prejudice at the hand of Nogitsune. She is now free from his thrall, yet she is in possession of something of his which should be returned. We do not wish to confront him directly, as he will certainly attempt to harm her again. We pray and hope that you will agree to intercede.”
Something warm and as soft as silk brushed the side of Lana’s face that was criss-crossed with pale white scars. She trembled: it was a white fox tail, but this one didn’t hurt, far from it. It was as comforting as a warm bath after a day of walking in the snow.
“This one. His lingering mark is on her. Not yet completely gone. A member of your family, you say? Ah. Yes. I can see the bond between your offspring and…” The being hesitated. “And someone else. Their wife? How remarkable. Not since the old days have I met such a perfect example of a tri-head union. Your line is blessed, priestess.”
The tail around Lana’s face raised her chin and she had no other option but look at the godlike creature. Tall and lean. Male or female, it wasn’t clear. Maybe both, or neither. Fox-like ears but a face resembling a human; however, it wasn’t moving. It was more like a white mask worn by No actors… or an android. Elegant, yet utterly uncanny. The god wore long white and red robes, and a huge jewel hung on their chest.
“Extreme prejudice, indeed. That you are even alive is a testament of your resilience, mortal. Yours, and the life you carry. His life force is astounding. So, what do you wish to return to your tormentor? Understand that I am not his master. He does not follow me, only his own twisted desires and immoral rules.”
Tears blurring her sight, shaking from head to toes, Lana picked up the balls in her pocket and offered them to Inari with both hands above her head.
“These. I don’t know who gave them to me, but they saved me from him, twice,” she whispered.
The terrifying mask leaned down, almost touching her nose, and Lana caught glimpses of unspeakable things moving alongside the god’s frame.
This isn’t right. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be seeing this. I’m going to melt anytime soon.
“His life force? You are willing to give it back when you have the chance to avenge yourself by destroying those?” This wasn’t a voice. It was the sound of tree trunks cracking in a storm, of tsunami waves rolling on shores.
“I... I don’t want any power over him,” Lana stuttered, beads of sweat breaking on her hairline despite the cold. Anytime now I’m going to faint. “Only for me and mine to be left alone, in peace. Not spend the rest of my life in fear. We have suffered too much already. This must stop.”
Another white tail grasped the two balls and right away, huge boulders of tension resting on Lana’s neck and shoulders were lifted. She sighed with relief, and offered a trembling, tentative smile.
“The wicked games of that trickster are cruel and have led to madness more times than I can count. I commend you for your desire to not seek revenge.”
Inari stepped away from Lana who shuddered and leaned on Honda, exhausted all of the sudden. He grasped her hand and squeezed it to the point of pain.
“Nogitsune! I call upon you. Show yourself!” The terrible voice boomed like thunder; trees shook around them, and snow crashed on the ground. The group of foxes all lowered their heads and the four humans bowed again. Silence filled the clearing. Nothing moved.
“Nogitsune!” This time, it was a deafening roar that left Lana’s ears ringing and made her crush Honda’s hand back. “Come to me or fear my wrath!”
The air shifted, and electricity crackled.
Lana squeezed her eyes shut and pressed herself against Honda’s side, finding comfort in his solid warmth.
Don’t throw up don’t throw up don’t throw up…
“Breathe, beloved.” Honda’s words were more a murmur than actual sound, but she heard them perfectly.
She let out a long and shaky breath and tried to regain some control. Her husband’s tension hummed along her body; all his muscles quivered as he refrained from jumping on their enemy.
“O-Inari sama, what a surprise to be summoned to your court. It’s been so long. Such an honor. What can I do for you?”
“Show some respect!” A large orange fox wearing a circlet of gold on its head jumped in front of the yokai and bared its teeth, five tails swirling furiously behind it. “Kneel! Lower your head when in O-Inari sama’s presence!”
The awful devil barked and growled, and his claws connected viciously with the muzzle of the other fox who rolled on the side.
“Shut up! I don’t have to listen to slave bitches!”
“Enough!” Inari thundered. They revealed the two plastic balls in their hand. “I am close to bringing all of this to an end once for all, you evil trickster. Give me one more reason to send you to oblivion and rid all the worlds of your heinous presence!”
Nogitsune hissed and growled at the sight of his most precious treasure. Reluctantly, he lowered his head.
“My… apologies. What… what do you want from me, O-Inari sama?”
“Something I am not sure you are able to keep – your word. This mortal has suffered terribly at your hand. Yet, in an act of wisdom and grace, she renounced seeking revenge and will return you control over your life force. But I will not proceed if you do not vow to keep away from her, and all of her close and distant family, today and for all days.”
The yokai threw Lana and Honda a hateful glare and took two threatening steps in their direction.
“That whore… that treacherous slutty little bitch and her lowlife worm –”
“Stop it!” The god bellowed and grew three times larger, towering above the trickster and all around them. “She shows you mercy, offers peace despite what you did to her, and this is all you have to say? So be it! I will keep those balls for an indefinite amount of time. As a guarantee. From now on, she and hers will be under my protection. This is my final word.”
“No!” Nogitsune roared. “You have no right, no authority on me!”
His paw shot out to grab the balls from Inari’s hand, but the god snatched them out of his reach before closing his large hand on them in a crushing move. The yokai let out another shrill scream that made Lana whimper and scrub her arms. A few hours earlier, it would have meant inhuman torture for her, too.
“All right! All right! I swear! I will bring no harm to her and her family from this moment forward. Please! This is mine, you know it. I don’t know who stole it from me, but this was wrong.”
Inari’s tails seized the yokai and pulled him forward. “I did not steal them. And it is my duty to protect wronged innocents who come and ask for my help. You are vicious. Dangerous. Treacherous. And if I can make sure that with this, you will refrain from perpetuating evil, at least for some time, I will. Be gone from my sight now!” The god released the demon fox brusquely.
Frothing with hate, the yokai growled and spat, but the sight of the pressing, angry crowd of his distant brethren made him realize he was overpowered. Slowly, he backed down, retreating toward the tree lines. Then a terrifying smirk twisted his snarling face, and he pointed three tails at Lana.
“Well, slut, this is goodbye then. I can’t have you? So what! There are other little bitches to train out there. They know how to show proper respect and gratitude to their lord and master. Oh, but save the champagne for later, will you? Guess whom I met on my way here?”
And with a low chuckle, he turned transparent and vanished. Honda and Lana exchanged an alarmed look.
“Oh, what a lovely gathering of fur coats. Can I pick one or two? It’s awfully cold out there…” Face turning as white as a sheet, Honda jumped on his feet, spear in hand, and faced his own nightmare.
The onryo stood right outside the tree line, wearing the same voluptuous appearance and lacy white dress as at the nightclub. It was only sheer reflexes that allowed Lana to stop him before he jumped on the cursed intruder.
“Goshujin sama, stop! It’s too dangerous! Don’t give her that pleasure!”
“Oh no, Naruhito. Please, do give me this pleasure… that’s all I have ever wanted from you. Why did you have to be so difficult about it?” The voice of the ghoul was sweet and filled with wanton promises that twisted Lana’s guts.
“Silence!” Honda roared, gripping his weapon so hard his knuckles turned white. “You no longer hold any power over me, or my family. Be gone or face destruction! This time, I will not fail, and will strike you down!”
The yokai threw her head back and burst into shrill laughter. “Now, now, don’t be a fool. You missed twenty years ago, you’ll miss this time, too. Do you really want to go through all of this again, this pain, this madness? It would be so easy to simply relent and give yourself to me… like that weak father of yours did.”
She took a few steps along the trees. “Hey! Old hag! Finally, we meet! You know what? It’s high time I told you a couple of very interesting details about that husband of yours… He was so relieved to put himself in the care of someone with my talents. What an excellent and obedient pet. I was so sad when he rebelled.”
With Hiromi on her left, Natsuko rose slowly on her feet, naginata in hand, a mask of pure fury and determination on her face.
“Stay where you are, wretched demon!” Inari ordered. At his signal, the foxes circled the ghoul. “This is a holy place, and you will not defile it with your presence and ill words.” The god floated toward the intruder whose face was briefly twisted by a grimace of hate before she managed to plaster a smile on her lips.
“So, it is you I smell on him, like an old, putrid scent lingering after a wound has been healed. I do not care about what you hope to achieve, but your claim is void. Whatever it was, it is gone. He was freed from your binds by a higher authority. You have done enough harm: leave, or my warriors will rip you to shreds!”
The demon raised her hands to placate the angry god and gave them a horrible smile that made Lana whimper.
“O-Inari sama, I have no intention of fighting you. I am nothing, only a worthless insect who has always held you in high regards. You are as fair with your punishments as with your rewards. This is indeed your sanctuary, I will not violate it. See? I am merely walking along the line here, nothing else. I would not dare… befoul it with my presence.”
Lana fidgeted and frowned. As she spoke, the onryo treaded closer and closer to their group. Lana looked around her. Their small party was also standing near the tree line.
“Goshujin sama,” she tugged at Honda’s sleeve. “Where does the shrine border pass through?”
Honda wasn’t listening. His eyes and all his concentration were on the monster that had brought so much suffering to his family and who was creeping closer. Natsuko and Hiromi were also on edge, weapons high, ready to strike.
Maybe I should also take out my katana. It wouldn’t hurt.
Lana looked at her feet, but it was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes searched for it frantically; her blade was on the ground a few meters away, where she had prostrated herself.
Shoot!
She trotted back to retrieve the weapon.
“I perfectly understand, O-Inari sama, that I have lost all forms of rights over this mortal,” the demon continued, voice meek. “But you see, he and I… we have shared so much, have been in such a close relationship all these years. I sensed his struggle, his pain… He thinks that I’m the cause of it, but I only amplified what was there in the first place to make him see. He doesn’t understand that I am his solution! Only I can help him! Not those inept mortal women, and especially not this weak bitch!”
And with those words, the wretched creature jumped in the air, flew above the heads of Honda, Natsuko and Hiromi, and landed right behind Lana who shrieked and stumbled on her back. Her hand searched blindly for her weapon only to realize she was sitting on it.
Panic surged. Empty handed, Lana scrambled back on her feet. Heart exploding with fear, the shouts of her companions reached her from afar. They rushed toward her, but all her attention was on the monster in front of her. Her face turned into the unspeakable horror of what she really was. Black lips split into an awful smile and revealed two ranges of pointy teeth and a black tongue.
“Miserable slut, you should have gone with the fox when you had the chance. You and the critter must die.”
The demon’s hand aiming at her distended belly moved too fast for Lana to grasp, but she slapped the wrist away and pivoted on the ball of her feet to get out of the line of attack.
When brief and acute pain pierced her, she could only stare, bewildered, at the red flood gushing from her flank and then at the long, dripping knife in the hand of the ghoul.
Uh. Too slow. He will be so pissed at my poor tai sabaki… I will never hear the end of it. Funny. It should hurt, right? Oh… Isao… Isao… my baby… my love...
Her legs gave way. She collapsed on the ground and watched the severed head of the yokai fly away while a rush of black gooey blood erupted from her neck.
Isao… Isao… Somebody help him! Anyone, please help!
No sound passed her lips despite her need to scream. Arms she loved so much engulfed her, but she couldn’t sense their warmth anymore, or hear the sound of that wonderful voice she cherished. His tears of pain and despair shattered her heart.
Isao, Isao save him save our baby not me!
Her bloodied fingers tried to grasp his lapel, but they had no strength left. Horrible, gut-wrenching pain gripped her lower back and belly, overwhelming her and finally ripping a scream from her throat. Her eyes widened in fright.
No! No! This can’t be! It’s too soon! It’s–
Another contraction shot through her and made her double-down. She was sobbing now, but not out of pain, only pure panic and horror. She barely noticed Honda putting her head on his lap, or Natsuko and Hiromi kneeling at her side. The two women didn’t bother to hide their fear and sadness.
They removed her leggings and underwear. Their hands were quickly covered with blood. Her blood. It wasn’t pouring from her chest, but from between her legs. From far away, through the red fog of her despair and agony, she made out some words.
“Lana san, focus on my voice, on my face,” Natsuko urged her. “You need to breathe, to calm down, your stress will only make it worse.”
“Okaa sama, she is… She is…” The horror and panic in Honda’s voice made Lana moan in anguish.
“It’s bad, yes, and we’re so far away from any help…”
Lana almost passed out when an even more violent contraction shook her, and she howled when her nether regions were torn.
“Okaa sama! The baby! The baby is here!” Hiromi cried, tears flowing.
A lengthy, deafening silence fell on the group.
No cries. No sound.
There was no longer any pain shooting through Lana’s body. Quite the opposite. A torpor was now filling her.
No cold. No pain. Nothing.
Her body was so heavy now. Her strength was seeping away, with each ounce of blood she lost. Laying on Honda’s lap, she could only see his face white with horror and worry.
With shaking hands, cheeks wet, Hiromi handed him something that was too small, much too small.
Can’t be him, can’t be my baby! It’s too tiny, too silent.
Summoning all her energy, Lana pushed herself on her elbows, heart in her throat.
“Isao! I can’t hear him!” she croaked. “Show him to me! Amore mio, talk to me! What’s going on?”
Honda stared at her but couldn’t answer, his heart-wrenching agony mirroring hers. His hands and forearms were red with her blood, and she couldn’t make out what he held. But she knew.
A wave of fear, rage and utter despair overwhelmed Lana, but no sound left her throat. There was not enough air left in her lungs.
Blackness creeped around her eyes. Death was calling, but she had no more energy to fight it. She had lost him. Better to be dead than to live with that again. She sagged against Honda, eyes fluttering.
Naruhito Yuki forgive me my loves I can’t do this, I’m not strong enough. I can’t go through this again.
Shouts of shock and surprise jolted her. Her sight was blurry now, she couldn’t focus anymore, so she wasn’t sure of what she was seeing. Four small figures made of stone, but this time shining so bright it hurt, had appeared and hovered above her bloodied body.
No, not over me. Over his hands, over their brother.
