FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Heavy footfalls carry me over cold ground. Two thatch roofs burn, the flames snapping at the dark sky. The whooping roars of those monkey man-eaters draw in on the village, until one shrieks in pain and the rest fall silent. But only for a moment, the roars of the raid returning fiercely, descending upon the pained call. I don't look back towards it. I can't look back, my senses are honed too tightly on what is around me for such distractions. There could be one of those beasts quietly running toward me while the rest make as much noise as possible. It's what I'd do.

But it doesn't matter what the ear-splitting shriek of pain was about, as it comes to a swift, choked end. Hopefully silenced by the edge of a kitsune's steel.

I hurry past the second flaming hut, going wide while staying a dozen paces from the river. If there are any surprises that wish to leap from the freezing depths, they'll have to cross land to get me.

My focus is on a single hut near the edge of the village, an untended, but contained, fire smoldering beside it. Where Miki should be, according to her deadly sister Hibiki. I have to hope the two-tail knows to hide during this raid, and that she hasn't gotten the attention of these large monkey man-eaters.

I slow down and creep towards the undamaged hut, searching for any faint flicker of movement. My quiet breath hisses loudly in my ears as the distant sound of wooden hafts clattering rings over the rage of the flames.

Shouts come from the river, my eyes snapping towards the source.

The reflection of flames and the moon hang on the water's surface, illuminating the shore enough to show me the kitsune by the riverside. There are at least five of them. I have hope that the ill sisters got out and this isn't some sort of deceptive glamour. That shard of hope darkens as I see three hunched, large figures heading toward the kitsune, closing in on them from different directions. My feet slow down, but I don't stop. Nor do I rush to help them, my task of getting to Miki still heavy on my mind.

Dozens of flickering, wispy blue flames spread out around the kitsune, growing into a swarm of floating lights that cast an eerie haze over the waters. The nearest of the monkey beasts swings a long club at the wisps. Wherever the flames touch, they stick, quickly spreading and engulfing the weapon. The monkey throws its club away and hollers at the others, the sounds frightfully close to words. When the other two stop at the edge of the fiery, wispy swarm, they keep their distance from the eerie lights.

I come to a stop now, weighing whether I should run to help the kitsune by the river or continue on to find Miki. Half of the blue wisps flicker in the moonlight. I doubt they'll last long, or perhaps some of them are illusions? The more I look at it, the more I begin to question whether half those wisps are true flames, as they fade from my sight. Hotaru's sisters said she was talented with flames, so is it her doing? Is Yuuko there as well, her weak illusions falling before my eyes once again?

If I'm noticing that some flames are nothing but a glamour, will the man-eaters see it as well? They don't seem eager to draw closer, despite the obvious gaps I can see in the web of floating flames. Not quite large enough for one of them to get through, but if they sacrificed a weapon and rushed in, they would likely make it to the kitsune unharmed. But I'm assuming those real wisps can't move.

As I hesitate, my decision is made for me. I spot the dull glimmer of steel gliding over the ground, approaching the blind spot of one of the huge, monstrous monkeys dressed as men. The beast doesn't notice until steel flashes in a moonlit crescent, cleaving off a leg at the knee. Hibiki whirls and scythes, her blades taking off a hand and slicing silent the beast's scream before it even hits the ground.

Swords darkened by blood, the deadly kitsune all but vanishes. The other two man-eaters let out warbling roars that sound too much like a warning cry to my ears, or a call for reinforcements. The monkeys' spears lower and they rush to their fallen, either to help or regroup.

I turn my back on the scene and hurry toward the hut I'm supposed to check on. Hibiki, with the aid of whichever sisters are manipulating the wisps, has that handled, and possibly earned herself the attention of every raider, which leaves me to finding Miki. And checking on the prisoner while I'm at it.

This raid has to be related to the kappa or the oni somehow. We'll figure out how once it's over and I've made certain Miki is safe. Until then, I have to get moving.

Letting out a single breath, I grip my sword tighter and slowly make my way around the back of the hut they've used to keep the half-kappa prisoner. Either the sky is brighter than when I got up or my eyes have adapted to the gloom, as I can make out most of the shapes and dips in the ground. No matter why, I'm glad for the clarity. Especially as I come around to the back of the hut and I spot one of the monkey man-eaters. It's climbing out of a hole in the back of the hut, and with it is the gangly, skinny beast that was once the youth Taro. The half-kappa drags a struggling, crudely bound Miki out from the hole in the hut, without a single hint of strain despite the kitsune being much taller than him.

By some stroke of fortune, the two-tail has enough fight in her to kick at the monkey with her legs, but since they're tied together at the ankles, she doesn't do any damage. It does distract the large beast, dressed in garb that reminds me of a hermit priest. Its fangs bare as it snaps guttural, angry words at her.

I hurry toward them, quietly as I can. But I'm still too far away, and the monkey is too angry. It slaps her with the back of his hand, snarling at her as she tries to kick him again.

My grip is painful on my sword and dagger, but I don't move any faster. The closer I can get without being noticed, the better my chances of killing both man-eaters before they have the wits to fight back. My dagger held out in front of me, my sword held ready for a low thrust, I grit my teeth as Miki kicks the monkey beast once more. Foolish, brave girl.

She's slapped again, but this time Taro steps in and snarls something. The far bigger, and more bestial monkey shoves its face in Taro's, but the scrawny half-kappa doesn't back down. Taro points between Miki and then the forest, and I'm close enough I can finally make out what they're saying.

"Kenta wants the fox," Taro snaps. "Don't anger him."

"Oni wants their power," the monkey spits back. "This one too young. Too small. Too weak. Only good for fun and food."

Rage bares my teeth in a scowl.

"If she's too weak, then she's good for bait," Taro snaps back. "Akaiyari might come for her. So don't kill the fox."

"Half-kappa," the monkey snarls, "we were told this be easy. That kitsune too sick. Your kin lie."

"Then take it out on them!"

The monkey draws up to an imposing height. "Give me weak kitsune, and I will. You and brothers catch better one."

Miki strikes at the half-kappa this time. She might as well be hitting an oak, as Taro doesn't budge. But he does take notice. He turns, grabs her by the ears, and hauls her up. Miki hollers in pain and impotent rage, muffled by her muzzle being wrapped shut with a rag.

I'm close enough that my bloodthirsty fury can't be contained. She's innocent. These beasts have no right to dare hurt such an honest hearted woman, let alone one of my hosts.

My dagger leaves my hand, senseless rage sending it forth. Because of the dark and distance I miss the half-kappa, but the blade sinks point first into the leg of the monkey. It shrieks in shock as much as pain, slapping the weapon out of its flesh and whipping to look around. Taro doesn't waste the distraction, he takes the chance it gives him. He slings Miki over his shoulders like she's a bundle of firewood and starts waddle running toward the forest. As if to get away from the monkey as much as whatever just threw a blade – the half-kappa didn't even glance around, he just made a break for it, to escape me and the souring alliance.

The monkey man-eater grabs at its spear, eyes sweeping around, but spots me too late. I run at the beast, the stench of its vile breath burning my nose. An arm swings wide at me, but it's clumsy to my eyes. I duck and slice open the man-eater's thigh, steel cleaving flesh with ease. I dart behind it, only to get hit in the stomach by its painfully strong tail. The blow flips me over, and it is only by good fortune I don't land on my blade.

Gasping and rolling, I scramble up and away, a wide hand slapping down where I was only a moment ago. Its fingers claw at the dirt, ripping ragged gouges into the ground.

The monkey beast is down on one knee, the cut I put in its leg so deep I can see a hint of bone. But that doesn't keep it in one place. Hauling itself forward with its arms and remaining good leg, its fangs and predatory hunger lunge at me. Those teeth want my blood, to feast on my flesh, and gnaw me to death.

A rage and horror struck shout leaves my lungs, my arm snapping out as the wretched memory of the tiger-headed man-eater flashes before my eyes, trying to merge with the sight of the monkey's teeth. My sword thrusts right toward the maw bearing down on me, guided by terrible instinct.

Hate filled, hungry eyes glare at me as the weight of the beast hits me. I'm thrown to the ground, the man-eater bearing down on me, the sheer weight of the scraggly furred, vicious creature pinning me to the dirt. Those fangs drip with drool, with only the strength of my arms keeping its reeking maw from tearing into me.

Hot, wet blood runs down my arm, soaking my sleeve and steaming in the cold night. Fear fills those eyes looming over me as the beast slumps, only its eyes moving as the rest of its body turns to a limp, dead weight on top of me. My sword-arm knuckles touch its leathery lips, its teeth clamping down on the guard of my sword, but it's too late for the monkey.

It realizes the same moment that I do that my sword pierced through the back of its throat and spine. Its fading strength tries to chew my sword deeper so it might bite at my flesh, but the light in its eyes fades along with its dying strength.

The man-eater can't even wheeze out a final breath as it finally dies.

Panting, rage and fear a bright fire in my chest, I get my shield arm free from underneath it. Holding its head away from me with one arm, I claw and push at the beast, unable to budge its corpse. I reluctantly let go of my sword, brace my palms against its shoulders, and heave. The man-eater's head flops as I push it up a hairsbreadth each moment, my sinews screaming from the strain. My shield-arm shakes from the effort, the recently mended bones aching fiercely as I struggle to push the beast off of me.

My head rushes and vision darkens at the edges as I shove, every muscle and vein in my neck drawn so taught I can't breathe. Desperation gives me the strength to flop the corpse aside. I gasp in lungfuls now that the weight is off of me, heavy with the taste of smoke and the coppery scent of fresh blood, utterly unable to move yet.

I nearly died. To hungry teeth bearing down on me once more, but it's not as my memory tries to make it out to be.

But I didn't die, then or now. I didn't need to rip its throat open with my own teeth this time. I was better prepared, and deadlier. Not prey to be stalked and tormented before feasting on my flesh.

My fists curl up, and I push myself off of the cold, icy dirt, struggling to my feet once more. I need to leave the past behind me; the tiger man-eater died to my rage and fear long ago. I have a task to complete, and no man-eater after my blood is going to stop me so long as I draw breath.

I'm still alive. And I can still move. Best I can tell I'm not bleeding either, despite being soaked in blood. Best of all, my shield-arm, even though it aches, still works fine. I can move each and every finger and even my wrist. Nothing feels broken either.

Good. That makes it easier to deal with the rest of the man-eaters and get Miki back.

But first I have to catch my breath, my body not yet recovered, perhaps not even rested from all the exertion the day before. That beast Taro can't move quickly with a kitsune over his shoulders, so I can risk waiting a few breaths more. It hurts to wait, my teeth grinding and fingers itching to hold sharp steel once more. But I endure, my lungs filling themselves with cold air to quench the fire within me.

Once I'm certain I won't fall over from breathlessness, I stomp on the dead man-eater's head. I grab the hilt of my sword and pull, desperate to rip the weapon free from the flesh and bone of the monstrous monkey. My arms burn, my back is hot and cold at the same time, and I can feel each heartbeat in my forehead – but after a moment of nothing, my blade comes free with a gory rip. There's no time to hunt for my dagger, so with a swipe of my blade that severs the throat of the already dead man-eater, I turn and stomp off in the direction that Taro went.

My breath is a fog in the dark of pre-dawn, but the stars are starting to fade as the sky brightens ever so slightly. I follow the webbed, deep tracks of Taro, trying to calm my breathing so I can hear if anything comes charging at me. Even now there are the occasional whooping roars in the distance, but the noise is lesser, if not lonelier than before. Hibiki had best be cutting their numbers down with those cruel swords of hers.

I make it safely to the forest outside of the village, near the path that leads up the mountain, when I see signs of a scuffle in the dirt. Like Miki had managed to knock the half-kappa down, perhaps. Except the deep, webbed tracks continue onward shortly after that, going towards the path back up the mountain. Better than into the forest itself, but with Miki no doubt still trying to get free, Taro doesn't have a choice but take the easier, more surefooted route.

Taking a dangerous few moments to do nothing but breathe, I steel my nerves. Collected as I can be, I stomp my feet next to the prints, hoping that if any kitsune track us, they'll know I followed, and start on a slow sprint after them.

Holding my sword out in front of me ever so slightly, and wishing I had a shield, I fall into a steady, marching run. The kind that, were I in better health, I could keep up for an entire morning without breaking pace. I don't need to go for that long, however. I quickly make it to the torii that stands before the stone steps leading up the mountain, the long, deep shadows surrounding me.

The tracks, so faint I can scarcely see them, end right before the stone, but at any point Taro could run off the path. If he were smart, he'd do that.

The damn fool became a man-eater, however. The youth killed everyone he knew for power. If that says anything, it's that he'll take the fastest, easiest route. Just as any rash, young one sure of their own might and importance.

I start my ascent, the sky above discernibly blue at last, albeit still gloomy. I can barely see each step ahead of me, forcing me to proceed with caution. I don't need to be tripping and falling on my own sword. My ancestors wouldn't even laugh at me if I did that, they'd berate my foolishness and ignoble end. I'd have to join in on that as well.

As I walk up the steps, I don't feel anything, not the aches from before or even the cold. That might be bad, but my teeth aren't chattering together and my grip is still firmly on my sword. For now, it doesn't matter. It just makes the climb easier, as I don't have to feel the soreness in my shield-arm or burn in my lungs.

Light creeps over the world and the frozen branches of the barren trees, the sun's rise not too far away.

But far ahead of me I see a flickering flash. A blue wisp that blinks out as soon as it appears. At first I think my mind is as exhausted as my limbs must be – even though I still feel nothing from them – but it happens again. And again. I get closer to the flickering blue wisps ahead of me by the moment, until I'm close enough that I can see that it's actually two flames that flash to life for mere moments.

It must be Miki.

Or, my instincts cautions me, Meiko.

I glance at the shrines on the sides of the path. They're still intact and well cared for. And the boughs of the trees, they look healthy. I don't need to worry, yet. Not so long as I keep climbing and don't let Taro get ahead of me.

Urging myself on, and wishing I still had my dagger, I catch sight of the kitsune's dusty orange fur and the sickly, mottled green skin of the half-kappa. Miki's back is to me, while her tails stretch far back, out of Taro's sight. For a moment, a flash of trembling, eerie blue flame ignites at their furry tips.

Her cleverness is admirable, and dangerous. I have to catch up to them before they're near the dead, gnarled section of the forest. Or else the oni waiting within might see those flames, and also myself creeping up on the half-kappa.

Expecting the scent of drying blood and sweat to give me away, I ready my sword, intent on striking with the flat of the blade so as not to risk Miki's life. Taro's head barely comes up to my mid-ribs from what I remember, so taking one of his legs out will be too difficult. I'll need to get in a good kick, get him away from Miki, then deal with putting down the half-kappa.

Rin might hate me for it, but I can't act carelessly. Taro is a man-eater, and I was nearly food for his ilk twice tonight. I won't take chances. I'll be striking to kill.

Once I'm five steps away, Taro suddenly stops. My feet land as softly as possible, my body leaning forward, ready to sprint if he starts to turn around or bolts into the forest. I can hear the wheezing of his labored breath.

"The monkey might have been onto something," the half-kappa pants to himself. "Kenta only wants the jewel. But does she even have one? Hrah, not like she'll tell me."

The half-kappa seems to come to a rash decision. He crouches and drops Miki – hard – against the steps. She protects herself with her tails as best she can, but it clearly dazes the kitsune. Taro pushes her over, straddling her back so he can grasp her tails. Miki squirms and starts to scream despite her tied up muzzle. There's a madness on Taro's twisted, green face, his sharp, needle teeth bared as he starts fighting against the tails trying to escape his ripping, searching claws.

He doesn't notice me until I'm half a step away, my foot already rising. His eyes go wide, looking at me as the sole of my boot smashes into his face, his head reeling back – but the cursed half-kappa doesn't let go of Miki's tails or fall off her. That's fine. The heavy, hard pommel of my sword swings down as my foot finds the ground again, metal ringing against bone and a pained grunt leaving his mouth as I club the side of his head.

He doesn't fall.

Half-kappa must be some of the toughest creatures I've met, as that was a blow that would've cracked open a man's head.

Instead of dying, Taro scrabbles back, shrieking in rage. His clawed hands grasp the rough bindings holding Miki's arms behind her back, hauling her up and using her like a shield against my blade.

Miki catches sight of me, no doubt soaked in blood and with fury on my face. Her eyes widen, but instead of screaming, she throws her weight side to side, trying to wriggle out of half-kappa's grasp. Whether from fear of me or knowing she's in the way, I don't know, nor can I risk caring about right now - the hurt of making someone afraid of me can come later, when she's safe.

I can't hit him without striking her. My sword stays poised to strike, but I stay myself, instead starting to creep around him. Unfortunately, he notices and slowly pivots to keep her before me.

Yet during this slow circling, Miki, somehow, gets an arm free. Once it's out, she immediately drives her elbow into Taro's side. She doesn't stop at that, the rush of panic sending her into a frenzy of wild blows. The half-kappa snarls and tries to hook his hand around her throat, but Miki must've hit him just right, as the wind is driven out of the beast. She flails aside as he gasps, escaping his weakened clutches.

As I rush in, Taro's foot hits my shin, my impatience making my balance poor. I crash down, half on Miki, but with enough presence of mind to toss my sword aside so I don't hurt either of us. The blade clatters against the stone as the kitsune and I are knocked still for a moment.

Now I feel the pain, but it's a distant, unimportant concern. My shield-arm aches, the shoulder I landed on is sore, and my legs burn. None of it is enough to stop me.

Shock of the fall passing, I roll aside, off of Miki, and push myself up. The half-kappa is collecting himself, past Miki who is between us. The kitsune is unaware of her bad position, as she has only enough presence of mind to loosen the bonds holding her, ripping off the rag muzzling her and undoing her other bindings. She's oblivious to the glare Taro and I share. The man-eater locks eyes with me, his green and yellow streaked eyes not showing a shred of humanity, only ravenous hunger. He's a lot skinnier than I remember, but I know his joints are bigger as well and that isn't just a trick of my memory. His limbs look longer and somehow stronger as well, despite their spindly appearance. His mouth is misshapen and protruding, like it wants to become a turtle's beak. I can tell that in this moment, he'd love to do nothing more than rip out my throat and feast on me.

Just as I see that in him, I'm certain that he sees in my face the burning, maddened need for me to bash his head against the stone steps until his brains spill out on the ground with the mess of his shattered skull.

That doesn't scare him. Taro moves first, before I can react.

He lunges, but not for me like I expect. While my arms flinch up, readying to snatch his throat, he grabs Miki.

She jumps, trying to pull away, and smacks him in the face with her tails. Rage shrieks out of his lungs, stabbing at my ears, as his hands flail and needle filled beak of a mouth opens wide. I start for him, taking a running step to throw myself over the kitsune and at the man-eater, but it's too late.

Horror hits me hard as his teeth sink through the fur of her tail and crunch through bone. Miki howls in pain, the sound turning to a wavering shriek as Taro grinds his jaws – right before I hit him with my shoulder.

The man-eater slams to the stone step, driven down by my weight. Since I'm over him, I raise a fist, intending to smash his skull against the rocks until my bones break or his skull splits. He spits a mess of fluff, gore, and bone at my eyes. I flinch, involuntarily, as I'm hit by a length of one of Miki's tails – bitten off by the vile man-eater. Disgust and shock make my stomach roil, the rage in me cresting over my senses, storming through my limbs and seizing my sinews. I will kill this beast for hurting an innocent.

A webbed foot hits my stomach, shoving me back – but I'm so beset by battle and bloodthirst it barely budges me. I grab his foot, the bloody chunk of Miki's tail flopping off my face, and with a battlecry I swing the man-eater up. It's no different than picking up a wet cloth and slinging it against the stone steps above us. Taro's scream is cut short as he bounces with a crunch, slipping free from my grasp, but he doesn't die.

Inexplicably, the half-kappa scrabbles to his feet, pushing himself up with an arm broken at the wrist. His blood soaked face turns to me, furious and snarling. It lunges, leaping like a frog, and slams into me. Teeth snap at me while claws try to rip through my thick winter clothes.

Those bloody, needle sharp teeth snap just short of my nose, only my hands clutching around its head saving me. Taro has the strength of a starving animal fighting for its life, flailing and lashing out as I hold him still. It's all I can do to keep those jaws from getting a chunk of my flesh. The stripes of a tiger, the reeking breath of a man-eater, the hungry fangs and hot jungle come back to me, real and close as the half-kappa, the hammering of my heart in my throat. The moment I let go of his head, he's going to try and snap a bite out of my arm or hand. I can't risk getting my fingers around his neck, or even let him closer so I can tear out his throat with my teeth. He's too strong. I start to roll, to try and throw him away, when his palm slams my head against the stone steps. Flickering stars burst in my vision, the pain still far and distant. In a daze I squeeze his skull, trying to drag my thumbs closer to those vulnerable, hungry eyes.

A clawed hand grasps my throat and squeezes it shut, the beast's broken arm hooking under my head as he clings stubbornly to me. I couldn't even toss him if I tried, I might as well have a loop of iron around the back of my head.

My lungs starve while my vision fades quickly. He's got a grip on the veins in my neck. It's only a matter of moments until darkness takes me, and then he gets the meal he hungers for.

Death creeps closer.

I don't fear dying. But I will regret it, as I won't be able to see Rin and Saki again, let alone save their lost sister Meiko for them. I won't get the chance to stop being a cursed fool and actually see if there is a solution to me loving them both.

My last, desperate gasp of an act is to stretch my thumbs toward its eyes. My vision darkens to the frightful sight of a dusty orange valkyrja descending upon white tipped wings, her sword held in a shaky hand. What have I done to deserve to be taken by one of the choosers of the dead? Dying to a man-eater, no weapon in hand, is hardly an honorable death worthy of being brought to the halls of my ancestors.

It doesn't matter. The valkyrja raises her sword, and brings it down as my sight gives out and darkness...

Breath fills my lungs, and a rush of tingling, disoriented life rushes through my head. I'm not dead. I hurt too much to be dead. The barely dawn light burns my eyes, my throat sore as I suck in lungfuls. I surge up shakily and see the valkyrja.

No, I see the kitsune.

Miki, my sword held clumsily in her hand, is trying to keep the half-kappa at bay. A nasty, ragged cut runs down the side of Taro's head, part of his scalp missing. Miki must have tried killing him, but failed, the blade no doubt skipping across his skull. Now she swings in a panic, the man-eater ducking the clumsy, fear driven strikes. Blood is streaked through her fur, especially her tails, one of which I see is nastily severed half-way down. She notices me rise, the distraction staying her swings for a dangerous moment.

I try to call out, but it's too late.

The half-kappa slaps the sword out of her grip and kicks Miki's legs out from under her. She crashes backwards, hands rising to defend herself. Taro is on her in an instant, his broken arm battering past her defensive elbows. His good arm tears into her face as I charge, Miki screaming.

I grab the half-kappa by the neck, squeezing so hard I can hear it force the breath out of his throat, and lift it up. It flails and kicks, but I couldn't be stopped with a dozen spears right now. Rage alone moves me.

I run at a nearby tree, not daring to give him another chance to skitter away. I bash the man-eater's face against the trunk, shaking the old pine. Once, twice, thrice, I smash the beast's head into the tree. I do it hard enough that when I pull back at last, dissatisfied at not breaking its neck or shattering its skull, I see some of the needle teeth are left stuck in the broken, bloodied bark. With a mindless roar I throw its limp body to the ground, head first, my foot rising to crush its head. Somehow it has enough life left to skitter away from my boot, and even squeal some pleading cry that barely cuts through the rushing hate thundering in my ears.

"Please! Please! Don't kill me!" it gurgles.

I kick it into the tree, catching it in the stomach, and silence those sounds. It should just die, but it refuses to break.

"-You foul, black blooded monster!-" I scream, falling into the language of my homeland as I kick it again. "-Mercy? Your kind gives no mercy! Do not ask for quarter you won't give!-"

It tries to scrabble away from my assault, but it's weak, slow, and scared. Sick of it trying to get away, I stomp on its ankle, bone and joints popping under my body's full weight. It wails like a frightened child, but the stench of a man-eater reeks on the wind, burning my nose.

It curls into a ball to protect itself, so I take half a step back to kick it against the trunk of the poor tree watching this pathetic monster plead. It's a stubborn beast to still be alive. And utterly shameless, to plead for mercy. But what could I expect from a monster that would sell out an entire village to man-eaters, and then devour his kin and kind to gain that foul power?

"Egil," I hear faintly as I kick the beast.

That's odd. It shouldn't be able to talk over its tears. I strike at its head, wishing it would just die already, but the faint call comes again, "Egil."

I stand over the simpering, gasping creature that was once a young man, but traded it all to become a monster. Does it even know my name?

"Egil, please," I hear, again, from behind me.

My head whips toward the voice that isn't the beast that refuses to die, needing to know if it's a threat or not.

Miki, a hand pressed to her bloodied face, covering an eye and bloody slashes that run down her temples and cheeks, is standing a few steps behind me. She's hunched forward and looks quite weak, but there's an almost serene strength in the one eye staring at me. No, not strength. Conviction. She holds out some of the crude ropes that had tied her up. "Please. Let him live. J-just tie him up."

Murderous hate is hit by a cold, almost human feeling of compassion, if not pity. Miki has been mauled by this beast that tried to kill me and certainly wished to eat me, and she wants me to just restrain it? She should be asking me to carve out its heart.

But that would take too much time. She's hurt. I should be protecting her, keeping Rin and Saki's innocent little sister safe, not wasting my time. Not failing her even further after letting her get hurt like this.

I look past her and see my sword resting down a few steps. I could just get past her, stab the man-eater a few times, and get to tending her wounds. Then carry her to the village. No, that was being raided. To the top of the mountain? Yes. That will be safer than the village whose fate I don't know. I can only trust Hibiki and her sisters have control of the situation down there, but not risk it. Miki needs medicine and treatment, and quickly.

I start to walk past the kitsune. Yet she holds out her hand, still grasping the ropes, and puts it on my chest, her limb trembling. I could push past her with no effort, simply walk forward, but I don't. She's so weak, that alone stops me.

"Please," she mutters. "I promised. I p-promised I'd help try to purify him. D-don't kill him, please."

My head leans back, and I breathe out harshly, wanting to shout but stopping myself. There should be steam or smoke coming out my mouth with how hot and angry my lungs are, but there's nothing. Only the brightening sky as the sun's rays cast oranges and reds across the vastness above. Fitting colors for a bloody, vicious morning. But there's blue as well, the placid, endless color that never fails to return in this world.

I can't speak. My sore throat won't loosen up enough to let out words. I know what I have to do, even if I hate it. I might as well get it done with, and fast, instead of arguing pointlessly.

I look down, take the rope, and nod at Miki. I turn and go to the man-eater curled up and crying at the roots of a tree. I still want to kill it, to wrap the rope I have around its neck, and pull it tight against the tree until the light fades from its eyes. But the half-kappa is not just sturdy, it's lucky. I do as the kitsune asked instead and bind its shaking, weak limbs, tying it up with no regard for its comfort. The more the man-eater struggles, the tighter the loop I put around its neck will pull, choking it until it passes out or relents. It either knows that or is too scared and weak to fight back anymore.

When that is done, I go to my sword and cut a strip of bloody cloth off of my torn clothes, then set the gore stained blade nearby. I go back and stuff the rag in the kappa's mouth, then wrap it around its head to muffle its whimpering and crying. Then I go to Miki, who is sitting on the stone steps, a dazed look settled onto her.

The wounded kitsune has already ripped off parts of her sleeves. She's got them tied over the bloodied side of her face, albeit poorly. Her hands start to shake when I sit next to her. Tears well in her eye, and she won't look at me.

With the anger inside me dulling from roaring flames to hot coals, I don't feel as much as I should. I should be a mess after nearly dying like that. Yet the only thing left in me aside from rage is a twinge of sorrow for being too slow and failing her. I could have been faster and saved her before the half-kappa and monkey man-eater finished binding her. But I didn't, so now she's here in agony, and terrified of me.

I crouch next to her, careful of moving too quickly, my heart thumping heavy in my head. I glance at her bloodied claws, to see how close to a mindless panic I am, and quickly look away. The sight makes the hair on my neck rise, but I don't feel a desperate need to protect myself. The soft, silent tears rolling down her fur might be what quells that part of me. Or perhaps it's simply how numb I feel.

"Miki," I say, my voice strange and dead to my ears.

Instead of flinching, she just trembles. "Y-yes?"

"I know you're scared. But I need to look at your wounds."

"I-I'm fine," she whispers. It's not convincing at all when there's so much blood in her fur and she keeps shaking.

"No, you're not." Her shoulders slump and she hunches forward. I'm not helping at all. I should see to her wounds before she loses herself to the pain and terror. "Tear off some more bandages, alright? Then we'll get your tail wrapped up."

That gets through to her. Telling an injured person to do something sensible usually works. "O-okay."

Her hands quiver as she rips cloth from her sleeves, putting her claws to use. Once she has a few more mostly clean scraps, she brings her mangled tail forward.

Seeing the bloodied stump, and how half her tail is gone – the missing part on a step above us – hurts something deep within me, cutting through the numbness that's fallen over me. It takes me several long, careful moments of breathing to stop myself from picking up my sword and skewering the half-kappa that did this to the innocent kitsune. She might have annoyed me, even put me on edge at times, but nothing like this should have happened to her. All she ever showed me was a desire to share herself, or when she couldn't have that, then to do right by me.

When more tears start sliding down her face, I suck in a breath and reach for the bandages. I can't let her think I'm upset at her. "This is going to hurt," I warn, as softly as I can.

"I know i-it will," she sputters. "I'll hold it still., but d-don't wrap it too tightly. Just enough f-for the trip back."

She gingerly holds her reduced tail, squeezing the fluff lightly. A thin trickle of blood still flows from the end, staining her brown dress and fur. I lay cloth over the mangled end and wrap it quickly, not trusting my fingers to stay steady for much longer. The after-battle shakiness will hit me sometime soon. Hopefully after I've got her back somewhere safe, and not a moment sooner.

Miki winces and ekes out a few pained noises as I bandage her, but I think it isn't so much from what I'm doing, but knowing what has happened to her. Or perhaps, it's from me being near her. She's almost certainly terrified of me now, as so many others before her have become. The hesitance, the flinching away, the way she won't look at me. I've seen it enough, and if I didn't need to make sure she was okay, it would hurt me deeply. But even she knows that her wounds need to be properly tended so she won't flee yet.

"There," I murmur, finishing the last bandage with a heavy heart. "Now, I need to see the scratches on your face."

"N-no," she says, drawing away, turning that side of her face away. "It's fine enough for the trip to get help."

"I know you're scared of me, Miki. Of what I am and what I can do. But I know how to do battlefield treatment better than some physicians, or else I wouldn't have lived this long. So please, let me see your wounds, then we'll get you back to your sisters."

"I-I'm okay," she insists. "And I'm not a-afraid of you Egil. I-I just had to... had to fight something. I don't... I don't know how to... I've never t-t-tried t-to k-kill and... and..." she's gasping, and starting to lose herself.

"Breathe," I mutter, putting an uneasy hand on her shoulder. She needs the small comfort right now. And if she really isn't afraid of me, which I doubt but I'll try to trust her word for now, then it might help some to know she isn't alone. To have some kind of reassuring presence to keep her from falling back into the terror of battle. "Do it like this. In, slow and steady. Hold, just like that. Good. Now, out, slow as you drew it in. Good, good, now start over. Just like that."

I encourage her to keep focusing on her breathing, until her hands stop quivering quite so badly. She's not exactly better, but I doubt she will go into shock, or so I hope. "Now, Miki. I need to see your face. I have to make sure there's nothing in the wounds."

"Th-that's not necessary. I-"

"Miki," I say firmly, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "It's worse than it looks, isn't it?"

She's quiet for a long time. She stares at her bandaged, cut down tail, clearly facing an internal war. I don't push her. I just keep my hand on her shoulder, hoping it's more paternal or brotherly than anything else, and wait. She's been too insistent on assuring me nothing is wrong. That's the talk of a badly maimed warrior, or a mortally wounded one. I doubt she's the latter. And I can only hope she isn't the former.

Miki reaches her decision. She nods, and whispers, "Alright."

She closes her eye and reaches up to undo the bandages around her head. She pulls the bloodied rags off, and I try not to grimace. She'll have to have the fortune of the gods for that eye to still work, and she's going to have at least four long, jagged scars from where the kappa clawed open her face. The wounds are bad and may even need to be sewn up on her cheek. I don't tell her that, instead resolving to do it only if she asks, and go about putting new bandages on the wound. Once I've got it wrapped up, I sit beside her.

I need to rest and gather my strength for a moment before going up the mountain, and I think Miki needs a bit to gather herself back up as well. I don't let my guard down, keeping watch around us, but I try to give her some attention as well.

The poor kitsune looks so afraid and alone, her shoulders shaking and mouth trembling, I have to do something. Not just for her sake, but so I don't go and finish off the pathetic half-kappa lying on the stones nearby. I'm caught between compassion and rage, the balance between the two making me shake as I put a hand on her back. But the compassion takes over quickly, stilling my hate.

The touch gets her attention. She looks at me, seemingly grateful to not be alone. Then just as quickly she glances back down. "Th-thank you, Egil."

"Thank Hibiki," I reply. "She told me where you were."

"But you killed that sarugami," she says, which I assume means the monkey man-eater that wanted to have 'fun' with her, then eat her. "And you rescued me. Y-you kept me from being-"

"Hush," I breathe out. "You're okay now. That's what matters."

She looks down, tears glistening in her eyes. She doubts me, but she nods anyway.

"Is your hoshinotama safe?" I ask.

Miki glances at me, shocked for a moment. But it fades. Her head bobs up and down slowly. "Yes. I-I knew he was after it so I switched it out of my tails. I've-"

"So long as it's safe, that's all I need to hear," I assure her, squeezing her shoulder again. "And thank you, Miki. You saved my life, I won't forget that."

"I-I wanted to help," she mutters, staring down. "But I made it worse. I'm no good with swords o-or fighting. I couldn't stop thinking I'd accidentally hit you. S-so all I did," tears stream out of her uninjured eye, her gaze falling lower, "was make more trouble for you. A-a-and now I really am a burden."

"You're no burden. You're brave, risking your life to save me from death when you could have run. That's the bravery that matters," I insist, wholeheartedly, even the seething anger in me agreeing. "I won't hear a word otherwise, and if Hibiki tries to say anything different, I'll throw her into the river."

Miki shakily laughs at my promise, perhaps not knowing I'm serious, but the nervous sound quickly turns into a wince. She's absurdly tough, whether she knows it or not, to endure wounds like that without breaking down. She breathes deep just as I showed her, working to recollect herself. I keep my hand on her back the entire time, keeping my gaze partly on the half-kappa and on the path leading down the village. We'll need to get moving soon, in case any of those monkey man-eaters come this direction. But I give Miki more time, judging the risk worth it.

It takes her great effort, but eventually she gathers herself. At least as much as she can, considering how grave her injuries are and all that's happened. There's a glossy, fragile look in her gaze when she stares at me. Yet along with it is enough strength that I want to believe she can make it to the top of the mountain. Perhaps a desperate, unworkable hope as well, as I recall that the oni is imprisoned in the forest. How had I forgotten that? We'll be passing right through the area of the beast that wants another kitsune.

As I think on what to do, she shakily wobbles to her feet. I rise as well, ready to steady her if she stumbles. She manages to stand with only a bit of a hunch. She looks up the path, then down, then over at the bound, and quiet, half-kappa.

"We should-" she starts to say, before swaying dangerously.

I hold her shoulder, the kitsune grabbing onto my side. She's dangerously unsteady on her feet already. Either from pain, blood loss, or the sheer shock of everything that's happened this morning. If I didn't have her to worry about, I might be the same way, except far more dangerous to anyone who touched me. For now, that part of me is somehow blissfully numb, perhaps because Miki hasn't been flashing teeth or claws, and is instead a weak, sorrowful fox woman in my mind. Even so, I'm wary of myself as I help her.

"I'm okay," she says.

I glance sternly at her.

"I am," she insists, pulling away. "My balance is o-off, that's all."

Watching her for a moment, and seeing that she's stable now that she's keeping her damaged tail curled around her waist, I nod. I'm not confident she won't collapse, but I'll have to trust it for now. I go get my sword and start wiping the blade off on my sleeve. It does little more than smear drying blood. I'm not about to sheathe it that way and ruin the draw, not when we must pass through or stop near the oni's domain, so I spend several precious moments cleaning off as much as I can.

"Uhm, Egil," Miki says, so I look over my shoulder at her while I try to scrub off the gore on the hilt of my blade. Miki's hands are folded in front of her, the kitsune appearing painfully small despite being around my height. "Sh-should we go back to the village?"

"No," I answer, sliding my sword back into its wood and leather scabbard. I test whether it sticks when I pull it halfway out, and find that it comes free smoothly enough to be usable. "I don't want to go up either since we have to pass through Meiko and the oni's territory, but going down isn't a choice."

"But my sisters at the village-"

"Aren't defenseless. I don't like Hibiki, but I believe in what I saw her do, and in the fiery skills and illusions of your other sisters. But even if I didn't, we'd be too much of a risk with our injuries and our," I grimace, then scowl at the half-kappa, "prisoner."

"I don't like it."

"Nor do I, but we need to retreat and hope you have sisters coming down the mountain to help. They'll be in better shape than either of us to help with anything down there. So we either wait on the steps somewhere, hoping someone friendly comes along, or keep going up. Both have their risks."

Miki considers what I've said. I have to hope it's a useful distraction from her wounds. "Then shouldn't we go up?"

"If the oni and Meiko weren't in the forest, I'd have us walking right now."

"We don't have to worry about him."

I look at her, silently asking her to continue.

"The oni can't cross the path," Miki explains sheepishly, as I curse myself for frightening her. "R-Rin told me about it. So long a-as someone walks through the torii on the mountain, he can't enter the path with them."

I don't remember if Rin or Saki ever told me that. It's important enough that they must have at some point, and I must've forgotten. Perhaps it was something unspoken that they thought I'd already picked up on. Or worse, maybe I had the knowledge slammed out of my head by the half-kappa. But even after hearing this from Miki, it doesn't give a solution to my concerns. "Meiko has gotten behind me before. She can cross onto the path, and for all I know Kenta can throw something from off of the path."

"E-eldest sister made sure he couldn't do that," Miki says, words wavering as she winces. It passes and she continues on, trying to pretend she's not in pain. "Meiko can get on the path, but she can only approach from behind. S-so long as you don't look at her she can't do anything. Or m-maybe some part of her refuses to, I-I don't know how it works. Only that it works that way."

Magic always has its rules, no matter the land. These seem quite reasonable, if not straightforward, to me. "If the oni truly can't interfere, then we go up the path. And hope we run into one of your sisters before we make it to your home."

"Kenta can't interfere," Miki quietly assures me. "I'd never lie about that."

I'm almost sad she thinks that I would take her for a liar, but that much emotion can't touch me right now. I spare enough consideration for the injured kitsune to say, "I wasn't doubting you."

The decision made on what we do, I go to the wretched man-eater and lift it up by the throat. I squeeze hard enough to make it struggle for each breath. "You can understand me," I say to it, making sure its eyes focus on me. "Listen closely. I'm going to carry you. If you so much as scratch me, I'll start breaking more bones. If you so much as look wrong at her," I point towards Miki, "I'll start slamming you into the stone steps until you're so broken you'll wish I'd kill you."

Frightened, swollen eyes stare back at me. That's good enough.

I drop it on the ground and readjust its bindings so I don't choke it to death. As much as I'd like that, Miki wants to let it live. She has a better claim to judging it than I. Yet the moment she tells me to kill it, I will.

Slinging the bound beast over a shoulder, my sore shield-arm holding the doubled up loop I made, I look at the kitsune.

She cradles the severed half of her tail, looking sorrowfully at what she lost. I say nothing, as somehow compassion slips through the numbness and rage that I feel. She holds her cut off tail gently, seemingly intent on taking it with her. Guilt tries to stab at me again, but it can wait. Getting her to safety and help is more important than beating myself up over failing to protect her. Eventually, she looks at me. She nods, so I start up the steps, making sure I keep Miki as far from the kappa as I can. She wants to walk close to me, and given the circumstances, I do more than allow it. I understand it, and feel better about having her in my sight. She's in worse shape than she's willing to admit, and anyone could see it. The last thing I need is for her to collapse and start falling down the stone path.

Climbing the steps drags on and on, my eyes darting from side to side the entire time. Sunlight peaks through the trees and glancing back, I see gray and red smoke rising to the sky. The colored smoke is hopeful. The rest of the kitsune might be okay if they're burning some sort of signal. That's what I want to believe, and not that the smoke was like that as soon as I woke to the raid.

Miki's breathing hastens, but there's still determination in her eyes. No complaints leave her mouth as we climb the steps, but she does wince now and again, clearly feeling more and more pain. The bandages on the injured side of her face, what would be her shield-arm side, look darker with blood than when I put them on. That's not good, but she isn't bleeding through them yet.

I weigh whether we should stop to give her a rest. Since the half-kappa I'm carrying on my back is staying still to avoid my wrath - wisely since I'm dangerously on edge having its weight and whimpering man-eater stench so close - it shouldn't be too much of a danger to stop. After all, nothing has come up the mountain to attack us yet. If any of those monkey man-eaters were going to follow my trail, they would have caught up to us by now, right? Then again, anyone coming up from the village could have caught up to our slow pace by now. The fight might still be going on down there, or they're dealing with a situation more dire than Miki's injuries.

Breathing in, and noticing how cold my limbs are, I grit my teeth. The numbness in my body is starting to fade. A dozen small aches and bruises compete for my attention, my legs are sore, and my fingers are so chilled it sends needling pain through them when I breathe on them for any hint of warmth.

If we stop, I'd need to keep moving to stay warm, or else I won't have enough strength to finish the trip back up. I quietly curse how out of the way their mountain home is and press on, wary of Miki's condition.

If she gets any worse, I will stop.

We keep walking, the hair on the back of my neck upright the entire time. I expect the man-eater on my back to try something, for something to sneak up on us, or for the path to show signs of decay and neglect at any moment. Even if I trust Miki's words, the wild, battle honed parts of my mind are prickling and on guard in case anything else goes wrong.

Miki speaks up, and I nearly jump, the sound that unexpected. "C-can I," she pants, "ask you something?"

I don't want to talk, the distraction potentially dangerous. But with how rough she looks, she may need a distraction to keep going. "Go ahead," I say, glancing anxiously behind us and seeing only an empty path.

"Do you, hah..." she hesitates, seeming to stumble a bit, but recovering on her own. "D-do you hate me?"

What kind of question is that? At least it is easy to answer. "Not at all."

"R-really?" she huffs, holding her arms, and the severed part of her tail, close to her chest, as if she's hugging herself. Is she cold? Or trying to endure through more pain? "Th-then why have you been avoiding us? O-or was it just me, b-because of what I did?"

"It's been a complicated winter," I say, not wanting to talk about this above all else. But she probably needs some sort of distraction, so I add, "I meant it when I forgave you, Miki. Everything else has been about me, and my own flaws."

"Ah," she breathes. A few moments later she says, "Thank you. For forgiving me. I-I'll keep my promise."

"I trust your word," I say, hoping I sound reassuring. "But I'd like to say something, if that's alright."

She turns to look at me, bandages and uncovered eye staring straight at me. "W-what is it?"

"Tell me if you need a break. You're as hardy as an oak, anyone can see that, but you don't have to worry about slowing us down. Okay?"

Miki stares ahead. "I... I will. But I'm okay. It's only a little pain."

"Then let me know if it gets worse."

The two-tail nods, and we continue on.

The sun creeps higher through the branches, and we're both breathing harder. We're still not at the dead spot of the forest, but it can't be far away now. I wipe my brow and breathe into my cold hand, then switch my grip on the rope I'm using to carry the half-kappa so I can try to coax warmth into that sore hand as well.

As I do, I notice motion ahead, just beyond a curve. Something dark darts our way, a flash of red setting my heart racing. It can't be the oni with its red skin, can it? I drop the half-kappa onto the steps, put my hand in front of Miki to stop her, and stride ahead a single pace. My fingers curl around the freezing grip of my sword, drawing it from the scabbard with a rough hiss. If it's the oni then this is the worst possible time. I steel myself, ready to use my life to give Miki the chance to escape if need be, and brace myself for finally seeing the wretched man-eater.

The shape dashes around the curve and spots me. My sword falls from its guard, the figure ahead slowing down from its run. The red tassels on the end of her spear flutter in the wind, and a wave of emotions pours over me.

Saki is here, dressed in her dark warrior's outfit, half-mask obscuring her eyes while keeping her mouth free. She's dressed as Akaiyari, come to defend the village no doubt.

Relief, regret, longing, guilt, happiness, worry – it all hits me, and I have to let it break over me like the wave that it is. In this moment, I need to be a storm weathered stone, beaten but not broken.

"You have no idea how happy we are to see you," I breathe out, sheathing my blade.

Saki comes closer and has to stop herself from leaning in towards me. It's subtle, but I don't miss it. "What happened?" she asks, voice as distant and cold as ever. "Are you two okay?"

"I'm fine. But Miki is..."

Saki hands me her spear, the haft warm on my fingers, but not as warm as the faint touch of her fur, and goes to her sister. The eight-tail lifts her mask, and a deep sadness wells in her brown eyes. "Oh, little Miki," she says softly, gingerly hugging the two-tail. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"

Miki's too shocked to do anything other than choke back some tears. She hugs herself, as if trying to hide the cut off part of her tail. Saki breaks the embrace, but keeps her hands on her sister's shoulders. "I-I'm fine. I can keep going," Miki murmurs.

Saki looks over her sister, and clearly judges that she's trying to put on a brave front. But the eight-tail doesn't press her sister on details. Instead, she guides her into a sitting position, crouches down, and takes hold of Miki's hands. "We'll get you to Shizuka soon, okay?" Saki says, care and love reaching into her voice, all while her tails swirl and coil, as if to reveal the roiling storm of anger hidden within her at seeing Miki so injured.

I admire Saki's composure and the gleam in her dark eyes. It makes me glad she is my ally, and I hope still my friend as well. Seeing her is a relief, in more ways than one. Not only is it safer with her here, the way she effortlessly keeps her teeth and claws out of my sight fights against the knot of tension in my back.

After checking over Miki for any injuries she might be hiding, and a flash of steely rage flickering through her eyes when she sees what happened to one of her sister's tails, Saki pats the two-tail on the head. "Rest here for a moment."

Offering no chance to argue, Saki stands up and turns to me. She tries to collect herself, to put back on her stern and silent countenance, but upon seeing me, she stops. I must look a mess, smeared in dirt and dried blood, my clothes ripped here and there, and who knows what else. Saki looks at me with open concern, which is enough to take me by surprise.

"Egil," she says, striding forward, her voice neutral while her expression wavers, "are you injured?"

"Only a few bruises," I reply. She needs information more than she needs to worry about me – even if some part of me is relieved to see it in her eyes that she cares about how I'm doing. "I'm fine. But the village was raided. Man-eaters that looked like monkeys, but taller than me and smart enough to talk and use weapons, attacked in a group. Set fire to two huts and freed the half-kappa. Taro had a falling out with them right away and ran off with Miki."

I hand her back her spear, which she takes slowly, very intentionally brushing her hand against mine. "Were these monkeys wearing clothes? The kind a priest might?"

"Yes, and I think so."

"Sarugami," she scowls, naming the man-eaters, confirming what Miki said before. "Wicked beasts that fell from being shrine protectors, to monsters as vile as oni."

"I overheard one talking to Taro. It seems they made some kind of deal with Kenta to deliver him a kitsune, or from what Taro said later, the hoshinotama of a kitsune. Or they wanted one of your sisters to bait you into coming near the oni, I'm not sure."

Saki's eyes take on a dangerous, dark look. "And the rest of my sisters?"

"Last I saw, by the river. It looked like they were all safe from the fires, and they had summoned fiery wisps to keep the sarugami," the new word is odd on my lips, "away from them. Hibiki descended on the raiders, so while they handled that I went to find Miki, as she asked me to."

Squeezing the haft of her spear for a moment, Saki stares past me, at the smoke in the sky no doubt. "The signals in the smoke say they're okay," she says without further explanation, glancing back down at me. "And what about Miki?"

She must mean how Miki ended up the way she did. Or so I assume. "Taro ran off with her. I caught up to them, but nearly died because the man-eater used her as a shield. She rescued me, but got injured for how slow I was in turn."

"You saved her," Saki states.

"I-"

Saki takes a step closer to me, her face so close I can feel her hot breath against my skin, mouth angled down so I can't see her teeth. She speaks quietly, letting her feelings come out in her voice. "You saved my sister," she says, gratitude in her brown eyes and the warmth of her words. "Taro hurt her, not you."

It doesn't change how I feel, but I can't argue with her. Not like this, not when she's so close.

She takes my silence as acceptance. "Rin is coming down," she continues, voice cooling. "I'll get you enough wood for a small fire before I check on the village. Watch over Miki and wait here."

I whisper, "I can get a fire going. Shouldn't you hurry down?"

"Wounded take priority." She looks at me pointedly. When I don't argue, since that's the same reasoning I gave Miki earlier, Saki adds, "Hotaru is sending up smoke signals. There's damage, but no casualties."

"Alright," I sigh. Instead of asking about the smoke signals, and wasting more of her time, I ask an important question. "What about the prisoner?"

"Kill him if he touches Miki again. I'll bear the responsibility," she answers, ice in her words, before turning on the spot and going into the forest. Not before her tails brush across me, one even curling around my hand for a moment. The warmth that imparts is most welcome, even if the affection I feel from her has me at odds with myself, my thoughts reminding me of Rin even as I enjoy the contact from Saki.

The village raid, surviving and fighting beasts out for my blood, what happened to Miki, the tension in my back from having to carry a man-eater, and now longing for the kitsune? My mind must be a frayed mess underneath the steely resolve to stay focused for the safety of the injured. I'll be lucky not to collapse once I'm alone and safe inside of four walls once more.

True to her word, Saki gets enough dry wood to start a small fire on the steps. Once she has it lit with a flame from her tail, she goes and gives Miki another hug. She shares a few whispered words with her sister, hopefully encouraging ones, while I drag the prisoner near the fire's warmth. Then I crouch and heat my hands by the flames. The way my fingers tremble, and the pale color they have, I know I was starting to get dangerously cold.

Saki finishes her private moment with Miki and approaches me. I rise, with a pop from one of my knees, and find myself swept into a hug. It's a warm, welcoming, and surprising closeness that has me smelling the faint scent of incense on her fur. I'm so taken off guard my limbs can't react. They just stay there at my sides, while a swell of emotions crashes over me once more.

We're going to be safe. I dare not hold to that hope too strongly, but it hooks deep into me, threatening to steal away my composure.

"I will thank you properly later," she whispers into my ear before ending the embrace. Saki takes half a step back, and bows slightly to me.

Saki, with a final glance at her little sister, who has her severed tail in her lap and is staring miserably at it, turns and starts dashing down the path. Her eight tails bounce and sway as strong legs carry her down two or three steps with each stride. I watch her until she, and the tassel of her spear, vanishes around the next curve in the path.

With nothing else to do, I crouch by the fire, trying to keep hold of the warmth left in me by Saki.

---

I gradually feed sticks to the flames, blocking the wind with my back and keeping an eye on Miki. She's near enough to the small fire to feel some of the warmth, but she won't come closer. With all of her fur, I don't think she'll get too cold, but I still watch her. She sits there on a stony step, still staring at the half of a tail she lost. I don't know if I should stop her, as there's nothing that can be done. Not that I know of, that is. Perhaps the kitsune have some sort of magic or medicine, but the forlorn despair in the two-tail's gaze has me all but certain there is no such cure.

I don't dare look at the prisoner, even if I keep his still form in the edges of my vision. I failed Miki, not entirely, as she is safe now, but those wounds will linger in my mind for a long time. And stay with her for the rest of her long life. If killing Taro would mend her, nothing could stop me, even if it got me banished from the mountain. As much as that would hurt me, I'd at least be making her and her family a little more whole.

But I know, without a doubt, that ending the man-eater would only serve to feed the rage trying to clench my fingers into fists.

It's a long, painful wait, made worse by my mind trying to sort through everything that has happened since I woke up to the raid. I make no sense of it all, or why I've yet to fall apart. The sun rises higher through the barren branches, and my pile of sticks for the fire dwindles. If it gets any lower, I'll need to venture into the forest. A thought I don't relish. Miki shouldn't be left alone right now, nor should the prisoner be left unguarded.

As I try to keep warm and not think too deeply, lest I lose my nerve, I catch sight of something.

Motion far ahead on the path makes me rise to my feet. My fingers touch the cold, but no longer frozen, hilt of my sword. I watch the shape move past the trees, hoping it is Rin but not willing to take any risks, until it turns the corner and I see brilliant white.

I let go of my weapon as I recognize the nine-tail approaching despite her white, priestly dress. The unyielding noble presence Rin carries herself with is made all the sharper by how she seems to glide down the steps, moving deceptively swift. As she approaches, she takes us in with a smooth turn side to side of her head. Taro bound and gagged, myself covered in blood and grime from battle, and blood stained Miki sitting with her back turned to her eldest sister, unaware of the world around her. The nine-tail gives her little sister a concerned look as she comes to a complete stop on a step just above us.

"What has happened?" Rin asks, voice cool and polite, but I know the emotionlessness is all a front. The way her tails go still behind her and her hands fold in front of her, it all looks far too guarded for her to be calm.

I step around the fire and get closer to Rin, stopping an arm's length away. I explain, in hushed tones, exactly as I did for Saki. Rin's gaze flicks to Miki at a few points, her calm worn like a mask. Once I finish explaining everything, that mask slips. Icy blue disapproval turns to glare at Taro. The anger passes, and the nine-tail looks back to me. Her hands reach out, soft and slow, and touch my arms. She takes my hands in hers, the warmth of her fur seeping through my chilled fingers, down to my bones, a most welcome sensation. The lingering comfort Saki left me is added onto by Rin; yet now that the eight-tail isn't here, I wish she was.

Compassion and gratitude stare right into me, Rin speaking softly, "I owe you a great debt."

I want to try and smile, but there's nothing in me that can. That part of me is strangled by regret, blocked off until I can put my guard down. Instead I have to reply, "I don't believe in debts between friends. But if you must repay me, Miki needs her eldest sister right now."

Rin, head tilting back slightly as she tries to figure me out, smiles sadly at me. "Then as your friend, I'll pretend I didn't hear that first part. Now, do not worry yourself, Egil. We'll get you both back," she assures. She squeezes my hands, the pads on her palms supple and pleasant, then slips away.

The nine-tail hurries to Miki, sitting beside her without a care in the world for her immaculate, noble garb. Only when Rin puts her hands on Miki's shoulders does the two-tail notice her, staring with shock at Rin. A moment of silence passes, then the two-tail turns away, fighting back a sob.

Rin speaks softly, reassuringly to her sister, whispering comforts I can't hear. Or maybe it's that I don't feel comfortable allowing myself to hear them. Once Rin guides Miki into a protective hug, the two-tail breaks down at last. Tears flow freely, but even still, Miki keeps surprisingly quiet. The young kitsune finds what she needs in her eldest sister, clinging to her and pressing her face into Rin's shoulder. The noble master of the mountain softly pats and strokes her sister, whispering into her ears, uncaring of the dirt and blood that touch her. It may as well not exist at all to Rin, as in that moment, she reminds me more of a mother than a sister.

I give them their moment and keep watch on the path down the mountain, palm on my sword's hilt. It won't hurt to be on guard against any more surprises.

My mind wanders as I keep watch. Once everyone is safe and I've had time to sort myself out from all of the battle, I have to address my heart with Rin and Saki. If I'm not afraid of them after nearly dying, and they're not upset at me, then something must be done. Even if the solution is something I'll only figure out after facing the two of them instead of hiding away or running.

Yet all that's needed of me in this moment is to be a sentinel against any threats that come lopping up the steps. The problems of tomorrow can come tomorrow.

The fire dwindles to coals, but I don't replenish it. Miki is still crying, albeit more softly, and if I move right now then it might summon a storm of post-battle fatigue and guilt over what happened to Miki. It's already there, looming on the horizon of my mind, waiting for me to be safe before it hits.

The sun is nearly peaking over the trees and onto the path itself when Rin finally calms Miki enough to get her standing. The nine-tail insists on her little sister leaning on her, Rin laying an arm and heavy sleeve protectively over Miki.

Blue orbs try to take my attention, but I don't lose sight of the prisoner or path below. Instead, I glance at Rin and nod, not concerned with being polite at the moment.

"Can you walk?" she asks me.

"Yes. But what should we do with the prisoner?"

Rin closes her eyes and tilts her head back, black nose pointing toward the sky. She somehow makes it look graceful, even as a lock of her white hair hangs messily over an eye. "Bring him if you can. No sarugami would dare approach my home."

I can probably carry the man-eater the rest of the way without dashing its brains against the rocks. I'll try, for the sake of the kitsune. As much as I hate Taro, maybe they can get information out of it about Kenta. I'm not so lost in my hatred I can't see some use for it. Even if the storm that will hit me later is going to be so much worse from having this beast close to me once again.

Hefting the man-eater, whispering in its ear another threat that makes its eyes flicker frightfully, I sling it over my shoulder. I stomp the coals out, and glance at the kitsune. Rin waves at the path ahead. "You lead. If Taro tries anything, I'll stop him."

Liking this plan, I set off, going slow for the sake of Miki. As we walk, Rin hums to her sister, or so I assume that's what she's doing. I don't dare look back as we're fast approaching the dead, unseen prison of the oni. I can't relax enough to focus on the tunes that Rin switches between either.

After only a few hundred paces, I see the shrines on the sides of the path grow neglected. Once the sun is high above us, the shrines are ruined or missing entirely, the trees cruel and evilly twisted. I keep my eyes forward, the irritated hairs on the back of my neck prickling as we pass through.

I expect an attack, for Taro to suddenly go wild and break out of his bonds, or for Meiko to start whispering in my ear, but there's nothing besides the wind. We make it out of the blighted area, the shrines around us whole and tended once more.

A few hundred paces later, one of my legs gives out, exhaustion stumbling me. I trip, falling forward and dropping the man-eater to the stones. I catch myself, roll painfully over the steps, and end up on my back. My heart races, eyes searching wildly to see where the beast went, fingers fumbling towards my sword.

Rin stands over the half-kappa, its face frozen in fear, while a mystical blue glow lights her eyes in the midday sun. Whatever illusions the beast sees has it caught in silent terror.

I breathe out a ragged sigh of relief. I stay there on the cold steps for a moment, gathering myself and grateful for the nine-tail's swift action. Once the panic doesn't have much of a grip over me, I start to rise. Miki stands close by, holding out a shaky hand. Seeing her, I can put a single worry to rest. She truly isn't afraid of me, even after seeing what lurks within me. I don't understand. Perhaps I can't, or perhaps she's just so good natured it's impossible for her to fear a dangerous, broken man like me. No matter why, I have to shake my head at her offer of help. I don't want to pull her down by accident, she looks far too unstable. "I'm okay," I assure her, getting up on my own. "Yesterday and today simply caught up to me, it seems."

"Do you need to rest?" Miki asks quietly, looking between me and her eldest sister.

I start to say no, but decide against it. I do. I need to get my back against something solid, and away from Taro. "A moment of not carrying that thing will help," I admit.

Rin turns her gaze away from Taro, the glow in her eyes slowly fading. The half-kappa shudders, then goes limp, eyes rolling up into its head before closing. It's a pity its chest still draws breath.

Again I have to remind myself it might still be useful.

"Egil," the nine-tail says, moving toward me, "we can get another fire going if you need it."

I shake my head and walk to a nearby tree. I rest my back against the trunk, a shudder running down my spine at finally having something safe, and not likely to rip apart my flesh and crack my bones, against my back. My heart thunders, and I realize it may not have been just my body that gave out when I tripped. Having that man-eater against my back wore me out faster than I thought it would, sweat stinging at my eyes despite the cold. "I just need to catch my breath."

I can tell neither kitsune believe me, but they let it go. Miki, one hand holding her reduced tail while the other clings sadly to what was lost, stands awkwardly. Her sister approaches me, hands folded in front of her. There's a few stains on her clothes already, but even that doesn't reduce her grace.

"I can carry Taro," she softly offers. "If you can support Miki, that is. She won't admit it, but she's almost fallen four times already."

"That thing," I say, unable to think of the man-eater any other way, "is after a hoshinotama. I'm the safest option to carry it."

A dangerously polite smile creeps onto her face. "He's caught in a nightmare of what he's done. The earliest he will wake is nightfall."

Rubbing my hands together, trying to coax warmth into them, I say, "I'll carry it."

"Egil," she mutters, softly yet forcefully, arguing with me without saying anything aside from my name.

"I only need to get my wits together and I can do it."

Rin sighs, as if knowing my stubbornness can't be beaten. Or so I think. She steps closer to me, hands folded into her sleeves, and whispers, "You're pushing yourself too hard. Please, let me help you."

I open my mouth, right as wings flap above. My heart in my throat, hand going toward my sword, I stare up as a black bird vanishes behind the barren boughs. Swallowing the panic, I have to demand my clutching fingers let go of the steel. They don't budge. Breathing slowly is difficult, almost painful, but I succeed. Not letting out a ragged gasp is harder, but I fight for control. My gaze falls, and I see Rin has an arm on my shoulder, her face close but not dangerously so, and her teeth nowhere to be seen.

If I'd lost myself to panic entirely, what could I have done to her? If I'd drawn my sword and lashed out, she's close that I-

"You need to rest some more," she insists, her closeness soothing. But what if it wasn't? What if it made it worse and…

I let out a ragged gasp, remembering to breathe.

She's okay. And she's helping me calm down. This isn't the past, when I'd lost myself to fear and hurt those who'd gotten close to me. Rin sees my fear, my weakness, and wants to ease it even though she was once the target of my instincts lashing out.

I can't argue with her, or explain why I'm so on edge. Or why I'm unnerved to see a black bird again. It's too much trouble, and I don't want to have myself fall into fear and endanger her. Instead, I rest my head against the tree and try to just breathe.

Of course, I fail at not thinking. Perhaps it is for the best. I didn't hurt Rin. I wasn't even going to lash out, only draw my sword and ready myself. I tell myself that, over and over. I cling to that truth even as I think about the bird that nearly set me off.

Either it's an odd coincidence and there are other birds, or there is a single one watching the path. It may only be the crows of this land, that is possible. I want to assure myself that I haven't gotten the attention of one of the two ravens sent out to watch the world for the one-eyed god. That's something a madman would rave about, after all. And I'm only battle scarred, not completely deprived of my wits and sense. A shock right to my tightly wound, rankled instincts, nothing more. That's what this is, that's what it has to be. Simply a crow that startled me.

My heart slows down to a steadier beat, and my fingers finally release my sword. Rin, however, doesn't leave. She moves to stand beside me, putting her hand reassuringly on my shoulder. A few of her tails curl against me, offering their warmth, and I'm too chilled to argue.

Miki awkwardly slinks over and stands beside her sister. Rin doesn't ignore her, instead she puts a few tails against her little sister and an arm over her shoulder. Miki seems to need it as she leans into the nine-tail, while her gaze focuses on the ground.

I cannot help but think of how pathetic I must look, unable to walk up this path without needing to rest.

But I endure my own scorn, and the bark digging into my back. After a short time, I can finally say I'm entirely back in control of myself. I start to move off from the tree, but Rin's hand pushes lightly, trying to encourage me to stay put. I look at her to see why, but she's staring down the mountain path.

A red tassel flaps as Saki dashes up the steps. I blink, surprised to see her again. A sharp, unwelcome worry strikes me – that the eight-tail may think I made some kind of decision with Rin so close to me. That concern sharpens as the eight-tail draws close and lifts her half-mask up to reveal her brown eyes. She puts a hand on Miki's arm, doesn't get any response, then looks to Rin.

"Everyone is safe," Saki says, resting her spear against herself and putting her freed hand on my shoulder in the same way as Rin. "Hibiki might fall ill after being thrown into the river by a sarugami, but what she and Kumiko didn't kill, they drove off. Hotaru is exhausted and sprained her foot. Other than that, they're okay."

"They'd better not be staying in the village," Rin says.

Saki shakes her head. "I judged it too dangerous for them to stay. They insisted on bringing supplies up, so they'll be back before nightfall."

Rin doesn't look relieved. "Wasn't Kumiko ill?"

"Yes." Saki shakes her head. "She's stubborn. I told her and Hibiki to focus on resting when they return."

"Then we'll have something warm prepared for them, perhaps laced with something to aid in those two's rest," Rin says, with a firm finality. She glances to Saki, then me. "Sister, would you help Egil carry the prisoner?"

Her reply is instant and offers me no chance to object, not that I honestly could right now. "Of course."

---

Somehow we make it to the gates of the kitsune home without Miki or I falling over.

Saki and I used her spear to carry the bound man-eater, dangling him off of it while we held the weapon on our shoulders, making the trip easier. Especially once I saw Saki had one of her hooked knives in her hand, no doubt ready to end the unconscious beast if it wakes and tries anything.

Rin, Miki leaning heavily on her, stands before the gates. The hinges of the heavy wooden entrance creak opens for the master of the house, and as it cracks open I see cloth and tails flap as someone rushes out to greet them. A slight, slender kitsune with six-tails – Tsubame who, I realize belatedly, is Hibiki's twin – goes to Rin, helping take Miki. The six-tail fusses over her sister, sharp expression softening and eyes starting to glisten. It's odd seeing the shorter kitsune help her taller and younger sibling hobble past the gate, but also relieving. Miki is going to get the care she desperately needs. Rin goes in with them, the three sisters going off towards the main building. Rin stops at the walkway, not following them further, and instead giving orders to the three-tail that appears.

I pass through the gates with Saki, the hinges creaking shut behind us. Once they clunk shut, and I see Miki and the six-tail vanish into the building, everything that happened crashes against me. My feet falter, and the eight-tail stops. She takes the spear shaft off of my shoulder, then sets the prisoner on the cobbled path. She stabs her spear into the ground, letting it stand on its own, while she grabs onto my shoulders to steady me.

"I'm fine," I say, sounding doubtful of it even to my own ears.

"No, you aren't," Saki states.

"I suppose it has been a long day."

Saki moves closer, putting an arm around my shoulders. She wraps a few tails around my back, trying to bring warmth back to my tired, worn bones. I try to move, find my legs weak, and cast off foolish pride. I hold onto her for the stability and look around the grounds of the home. There's not as much ice now, and smoke curls out gently from spots in the roofs, the fires within no doubt pleasant.

We're safe. Somehow, we're finally safe. I got Miki back, even if I failed to keep her safe.

A ragged breath leaves my lips, a tremor coursing down my spine. "You're right," I admit in a whisper. "I'm not okay."

"I," Rin says, coming towards us, "am glad you've finally admitted it."

"His stubbornness is admirable," Saki says.

"True, but not when it makes me worry," Rin says softly. She puts her hands on my arms and faces me fully. "Once I've gotten Miki taken care of, the three of us will have to share a drink." Her attention turns to Saki. "Until then, Saki, my dearest sister, please take care of Egil. Please, see to him getting bathed and warmed up."

The eight-tail's expression doesn't manage to hide her slight surprise. "Are you certain? The prisoner needs to be put away."

"I already have Mariko readying to deal with Taro," Rin says, moving a hand off of me to pat her sister's arm. She quietly adds, almost conspiratorially, "Besides, we agreed, didn't we?"

They what? Did my exhausted ears mishear that? What did they agree to?

Saki, standing tall and sure, calmly says, "Then I'll see to it. If you do not mind me helping you, Egil."

Confused, tired, and too worn down to make excuses, I speak truthfully. "I wouldn't mind either, or both of you, helping with that."

"Another time, perhaps," Rin smiles, a coy look crossing her face. "Now," she returns to her serious self, "go, both of you. Don't worry about anything else."

There's something else going on with them that, right now, I am too beaten down to worry about. The hot steam of their home's bath is a temptation that lets my weary legs move onward, Saki guiding me. I spot a three-tail kitsune dash past, and if it weren't for the short sword in her sash, I'd be worried about her handling the prisoner. But since she's armed, I'll try to focus on getting warmed up like I was told.

Saki, being so close to me, makes that a lot easier. For some reason, having her hold me, I'm not as afraid of losing myself to instinctive, shaking panic as I should be. Perhaps because I believe she could stop me. That no matter how bad the after-battle storm coming to crash over me, Saki won't let me hurt anyone, not even her.

I lean into the strong eight-tail, too worn down to feel shame about it, and let Saki guide me toward the baths.