Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Chapter 21
Angel
“Why aren’t you going to attack me?” I whispered to the little angel. “Please, I want to die, I have no life left, so hurry before Akkiyaan forces me to kill you!” She looked at me and tears filled her violet eyes, eyes that were identical to mine. She had the same face, too. Same pale skin and high cheekbones. Same empty shell.
“I…I want to die too.” I was taken aback by her soft words. She wasn’t me. She had heartbreak, not soul break. I could feel it in her aura. She had falcon wings, brownish tan with a distinct point. Probably native to a western state of the United States. Mine were unmistakably raven or crow’s wings. Birdie, capture her. I was disgusted with Akkiyaan’s intrusion. It was his favorite attack, breaking someone down on the inside. At least I wouldn’t have to kill her, which almost made me happy. Almost.
“Sorry, sister.” I said quietly. I touched the crimson diamond around my neck and drew out a red light. “Hyoushi Jumon.” The words seeped through my lips, though I didn’t know where they came from. It just felt natural. I directed the light to the Amber sphere that hung around her neck. It reminded me of a soul. Maybe that’s what they were: orbs that contained our souls. She gasped sharply and chains flew wildly around her arms and legs.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦Dannen♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
I finally understood what I was witnessing. I saw Lady Kisa be taken away by the female creature. I saw the male advance on Lady Yuki. I felt her blood when she dodged his blade too late. “Irihi.” I whispered. Now I knew what happened that cursed evening in the evening sun. “Mom.” I choked. My legs guided me to the couple and I lunged for the creature. I felt his neck snap in two as I bit down. Never would I let him hurt Lady Yuki like that, and I couldn’t stand to see her face again if she lived and I knew that I hadn’t tried to stop it from happening. He screamed and threw me off him. I gripped Lady Yuki’s hood and ran as quickly as possible away from the scene. Mama, I’ll be back. I vowed in my mind. Although I knew that Kisa wasn’t my mother, I couldn’t shake the memory and the resemblance from my mind. The creature adjusted his neck, but by that time, we were gone.
A woman appeared beside me and ran alongside me. She looked like Lady Kisa, but had golden wings and let her auburn hair flow freely. She guided me to the right. “Run, Hopeful one. Save my Yuki. There is a hut not far from here. The place you need to go is called the Takitanima. Remember that you can always trust irises. Someday, Yuki will go there and unleash her true self. You can also trust a woman named Yuusuzumi. She has two daughters, but Koharu is more trustworthy than Aijou. Aijou is too young and inexperienced. Remember my words, little haiena, and take them to heart.”
“Who are you?” I called through the thick fabric. “What’s your name?” the woman smiled faintly and disappeared into the sky.
“Remember.” The word echoed in the dense forest. Suddenly, a hut came into view.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦Shishou♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Your only chance is to run. No. “No…no…NO!” I shook my head fiercely. Why did I listen to him? I have to see Kisa and the others…safe, I reminded myself. They have to be safe. I turned. The wind ran with me, seeming to push me towards Kisa and the field where we landed. Your only chance is to run. But I’m better than that! I will fight! Tonight you will all die. No, we won’t. What made me run earlier? Did I actually believe those stupid words?
“Hyoushi Jumon.” That voice… what were those strange words? I concentrated so hard on the words that I didn’t notice my surroundings and tripped on an outstretched tree root. Pain shot through my body as I felt the word scrape open my legs. Forcing my mind away from my legs, I tried to focus my eyes on the blurry figures ahead. One figure fell over at a vampire’s feet and Dannen lunged at him. Another figure fell into the other’s arms limply. Kisa. I stumbled forward but crumbled under the reopened and seeping wounds on my legs. Dannen was carrying Yuki’s bloody body. He ran past me, unaware of my presence. The new angel who held Kisa tried to steady her, but failed and robotically brought her away from the vampire. The vampire followed her, adjusting his broken neck that would have killed a mortal. I could just stare in dismay. I killed Kisa. I slumped against the tree, my tender legs burning. I covered my face. Stupid Shishou. I was an idiot. “STUPID!” I screamed, tears falling freely from my face.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦Irihi♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
“Take me to your leader!” I sighed and looked back at the small vixen. She held her head high with dignity. She said those words last night, and now it was mid-day. Why had I agreed? Musouka would have my head! We continued our steady trot towards the clan until a large growl terrified me. The bushes rustled and a figure jumped out of them.
“Sorry…”Hachi blushed and looked at her paws. But I wasn’t paying attention to her stomach.
“Yonagi!” I breathed, and my sister licked my nose.
“Irihi, you stupid fur ball, I thought that I had lost you!” she said with affection.
“Is that your leader?” I heard the vixen whisper, just loud enough for Yonagi to hear.
“Iri, who is that?” Yonagi blinked in surprise. “That’s the vixen with the bird-woman!” she started laughing, I cherished the sound of closeness that formed between us. “Good memories, No, I’m not the leader here.” Yonagi said warmly and Hachi blushed at the reminder. “But I can take you to Musouka, if you wish that of me.” Some days it was as though my sister could read my mind.
“Thank you!” Hachi and I said in unison. Though I sounded more relieved, when she just sounded happy. Yonagi knew about my fear of Musouka, that she had forgotten of my existence ever since my prophesy was fulfilled.
“Please, um, Yonagi, could you tell me who Musouka is?” Yonagi glanced at me before speaking.
“Musouka means dreamer, it’s been passed down her family for decades, almost a century. Do you know Dannen, abandoning hope? Musouka is his mother’s twin sister. If his mother had a daughter, or if Musouka had a daughter, then one of them could have been the next Musouka. You can tell which one will be the next Musouka, because the current one will have a dream at the time of their birth. The dreamer is a priestess of the sun goddess, Amateasuo.” Something flashed in the vixen’s eyes, recognition? “So whenever we have a Musouka, they lead the clan in Lady Amat’s footsteps.”
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦Hachi♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
“Oh, have you heard of Ichidou, the ray of hope, aka the golden child of Lady Amat?” the name swirled in my head. “They’d choose the next leader after Musouka. That is, when we find them. Their Lady Amat’s lost child. Yeah, that’s about all I know. I know it’s childish, but I’ve always wanted to meet Ichidou. I want to help them to our clan, be a priestess of sorts. Never the leader, though. Oh well, do you still wish to meet Musouka?” the haiena flashed a brilliant smile and I nodded at her. “Okay then, follow us!” Yonagi and Irihi started walking off. I trotted after them, snapping at cicadas.
“Let’s stop for the night, the clan is farther west, it’ll take us a while to get there, and we might as well rest our feet.” The twins lay down, leaning into each other for warmth and comfort. I was almost jealous of the compassion between them, knowing that I would never have a sibling to share that love with. I curled up a few feet away, and drifted off into darkness.
I opened my eyes to a brilliant golden glow. Long green grass waved around me in the soft wind. I could hear the loud roaring of a waterfall a mile away. Irises swayed in the light breeze. I stood up, wobbling slightly. The golden figure approached me and swept me into his arms. I felt a hand run down my back, petting my golden fur. I licked his warm hand. “My Hachi, you have lots ahead of you, but I know that you are ready.” His soft, calm voice almost put me back to sleep in his arms. I gazed up at his face. Dusty golden eyes like my own gazed at me. I noticed large golden fox ears perched out of his head. They looked like mine. “Sleep, little Hachi, now that we’ve met, I will always be with you, I can never leave your side.”
The faint scent of irises lingered with me as I awoke. I stood swiftly and caught a dragonfly. I swallowed quickly and scoped out my surroundings, tasting the air. Irihi rolled over and breathed in deeply. Yonagi came back with a vulture in her mouth. “Iri, wake up!” she whispered as she dropped the bird in front of Irihi. I stared at the creature and was suddenly reminded of Kisa. I gulped and blinked my eyes rapidly, willing the vision to go away. How I missed my little Kisa. I wondered what they were doing, not for the first time, without me. Irihi groaned and lazily opened her eyes. Her nose twitched.
“Do I smell vulture?” Yonagi smiled and nodded at her sister. Irihi stumbled to her feet and the haienas shared the meal. I was disgusted by the stench of the carrion. How long had it been dead? Oh well, the haienas had strange taste. I had to remind myself that, like most canines, the hyenas ate almost anything. I shrugged it off. When the two finished, we continued our journey.
I gazed at my paws, trying to shake off the curious stares of the haiena clan. A male haiena trembled in the back. I wished that the boy from my dream were with me. As if to reassure me, I could smell irises faintly.
“Musouka, you have a visitor.” Yonagi called. Irihi trembled in fear, much like I was doing.
“Who is it?” a woman’s voice sighed.
“Hachi-ko of Ayame.” I called, ayame meant iris, and I was holding onto that dream like a lifeline. The Haiena walked out of her den, eyebrow raised. Something was wrong with her. She isn’t the dreamer! The scent of irises trembled next to me. “Who are you?” I asked her. She laughed.
“I am Musouka, dreamer of the Haiena clan.” I stared at her.
“No you aren’t.” I growled in anger. Something lit up in her eyes. Was it fear? Recognition?
“What do you mean, little vixen, I am Musouka!”
“That’s not your name.” I hissed “It’s Sanda-ba-do, isn’t it? That’s the name my Mother gave you.” Murmurs rippled throughout the crowd. The irises ushered me on, their scent growing stronger. She tricked the previous Musouka into thinking that she was the true Musouka. To silence her twin, she gave the true dreamer’s son the name of utter hopelessness, so that she wouldn’t try anything. Sanda’s eyes widened.
“Sanda was my sister.” Sanda grasped for a way out of her tightly tied knot.
“A kit-fox whom I called mother named me Hachi-ko, but I think that my true name is Ichidou. I was told so in a dream.” The irises murmured softly. Little Hachi, don’t give too much away. There is a Haiena in the crowd. He is the true leader. No more will there be a Musouka. That time has passed. Choose him as the leader. His name is Akeru, and it is his time to dawn. I nodded to myself. “Will the haiena named Akeru step forward?” I called out to the crowd. The haiena that had earlier trembled stood up and walked to me. Gasps echoed throughout the haienas. A few dipped their heads in respect. Akeru turned to me, fear and trust in his gaze.
“Lady Ichidou.” He said softly. I nodded and smiled at him. “You came to me, in a dream, you and a glowing human. Who was he?” he whispered, and I was glad for that.
“Someday, we will both know him personally, but I think that he truly leads my paw steps.” I replied softly. “Lead your haienas well. I cannot stay long, for I must go back to my friends, I have been gone for too long, and I worry about them.” I smiled at him. “I trust that you will do a better job than the previous leader. Goodbye, Akeru. Something tells me that we will meet again.” Pure trust and worship flowed from his gaze.
“Goodbye, Lady Ichidou.”
“Please, call me Hachi.” I smiled at him. “Old habits are hard to break.” With that, I slipped away into the bushes. The haienas burst into amazed whispers. I ran until I was far away from the camp. Then I called into the coming dark, “Who am I, brother? Who are you?” the boy appeared before me and picked me up in his warm hands.
“I think that you know who I am.” He said softly.
“Are you Ichidou?” I asked softly.
“Yes, little Hachi, I am. But so are you.” I looked at him in amazement. “There is another world, a world inside of our world. It is called the Takitanima. The Takitanima is cut into seven countries, and the hidden realm of Kikyou. The countries are Bara, Sakura, Ayame, Yuri, Hasu, Rairakku, and Chuurippu. The inhabitants are blessed by the shape shifting goddess, Inari, with separate souls, called ‘doushi.’ Some never meet each other, but some do meet, and are connected for the rest of their lives, like us. Takitanians are born with features of their animal doushis.” Ichidou touched one of his huge golden ears. “Most humans never find out about the Takitanima, and it’s better that way. When they do mingle, bad things usually happen when humans learn about our true natures. A queen was killed by her husband when he learned about her wings and her eagle spirit. The queen also ruled over Ayame, so they still have to find her heirs. However, that isn’t your job, little Hachi. The haienas don’t know about it, but Akeru’s doushi is in charge of Sakura. And just to let you know, Takitanians and their doushis are always opposite genders, it’s another thing about Inari, she can be both male and female, so she likes to make all Takitanians both also. I can’t tell you much more, but be wary of Dianichi. She will stop at nothing to hurt us. Goodbye, little Hachi.” Ichidou set me down then disappeared. His words rang through my ears. One thing made sense. I needed to see Kisa.