New Leaves
#3 of Blood Red Moon
** If you are here for yiff or want a traditional happy ending skip this chapter.**
Seika woke me early this morning and to my delight he had snared a rabbit for breakfast. I wondered if he knew how much everything he does meant to me. Seika always seemed so together. We stopped at a lake by the trail we were following so Seika could wash some of our clothes.
"Let me help you. " Seika was struggling to hold up the wet sleeping mat and rinse away the dried seed that was caked on.
"No need, master," He willed the water to wash over it. "See? Good as new." Sometimes I wished he wouldn't call me that, but other times it made me feel like I was in control. "Just relax, I'll be done soon master." Seika smiled warmly and I felt sorry for him, he was stuck with me.
"I'm going for a walk. I need to think. " I'm not sure what he said, but it didn't matter. He would be better off without me. I wandered aimlessly into the foliage, until my twisted, bloody shadow returned. "Why? Why did you choose me?"
"You know why, Tama. You're weak. Let's find a village and raise some hell." He slipped into my body, I could feel the power flow through my muscles. "You want to be strong, don't you? " His disgusting guttural voice came from my own lips. I looked at my hands as my claws grew razor sharp.
"No. This isn't happening. It can't be... Please, stop." Tears stung my eyes as my blue fur slowly turned red.
"Bargaining doesn't work so well with the demon, does it? " The monster inside me spun my body to face the voice. An older coyote, another shaman from the looks of his fur pattern, was laying on a large stone. His hand clutched a staff with complex carvings in it.
"Kill 'em. We could grow stronger. " the demon's thoughts were my own. We lunged at him, but he dodged the claws that dug into the stone and jumped high into the air. "After him." We kicked off the ground and the demon readied his claws as we came close enough to strike. The coyote swung his staff and bashed us to the ground. Roots twisted around my wrists and ankles and the demon struggled against the restraints.
"You have strength but no control. You need to find a way to stay calm and direct his power without him directing your actions. If you can't find your foundation perhaps it is that you are looking too hard." With that the coyote smiled and walked away. I took a breath and the demon slipped from my body, the roots unfurled.
"Hi, master. I made you something." Seiko greeted me and held up a bracelet. I took it and read the inscription on the wooden beads. 'Soul, the force that unknowingly guides us to earth's true wonders.'
"We should be going. It shouldn't be long until we get to the mother village." I would have to get there soon before I caused any more destruction. I slipped the bracelet on my wrist and we continued on our way.
On our trek we saw the cubs of wolves, beautiful pastures, mountains that reached the sky... Then after days we had reached the tall gates of the mother village. The beginning of civilization. The legends say this land was handed to us by the gods and its purpose was give peace. We bowed and kissed the earth to show our respect. Then the gates opened and we were granted entry then we were brought to the village elder. His kind had died out long ago and he was blind in one eye. Still he extended his paw and shook my own. "Come, I will take you to our temple. There you will train with our most powerful and wise shaman." His voice was frail but the wind itself carried it to my ears. The earth moved beneath his feet and seemed to carry him as we walked to the large building in the center of the village. "I apologize, but only those who have finished their apprenticeship may continue beyond this point. Feel free to explore our village, though."
"Thank you, but I'll wait for my master to return." Seika smiled and sat down beside the stone stairs.
"He is well trained, his master should be proud." He commended me as we ascended toward the temple.
"I didn't train him, he's just like that." When we arrived at the top I was told to enter and that we would not be disturbed as the training I would be receiving is sacred. When I entered the temple I saw that the shaman that would be training me was none other than the coyote I met in the woods.
"Hello, I do believe we've met before." The coyote smiled. "Tell me, when does the demon comes out?"
"He comes out a lot, but he takes control when I feel weak." While I spoke the demon mocked me and my head cocked toward him.
"He is with you now?" The coyote furrowed his brow and I could only nod. "Alright, time to make some progress." In a flash the coyote had his fist burrowed into my stomach and I fell, limp, impotent.
"Let's play. " The demon spoke. The coyote and I clashed, neither of us landing a significant blow.
"Channel his power. It's your body, not his!" The coyote blocked yet another blow with his staff. The demon began to grow angry and white hot sparks burst off of my claws- my claws. I looked down at them, he was right.
"No!" The demon cried and bashed the coyote's head. I felt even more hopeless than before, as if I could control the beast.The dazed coyote was on his hands and knees and the beast kicked him. "I'm going to kill you. Then I'll kill your elder. Then I'll end this wretched city of peace!" Each sentence was emphasized with another blow, the final kick put the canine through the temple doors and he rolled down the stairs. The sky was dark, the demon's power drew the clouds to the mother village. With a leap we were at the bottom and add we neared the coyote I could see his final moments, the blood, his head beneath my foot. The images played over and over again in my mind.
"Tama, stop!" Seika was knocked aside by my hand and we were close enough to smell the blood. "Please." He stood between us and our chance to end our enemy. Our paw clutched his throat and held him aloft.
"I've had enough of you." My paw squeezed harder and Seika grabbed at it, trying to pull it away. He grabbed at my arm.
"Sorry... Master..." His body went limp and I stared into his serene, but battered face. My paw released him and he fell.
"I don't want to be strong." My voice came in a whisper. "I don't want to be strong, I don't want to be strong, I don't want to be strong..."
"What? Master?" Seika's voice was a croak.
"I just want to be with you, Seika. I don't want to be strong." I laid with him as the villagers cried in anger at the battered coyote's body and they descended upon us.
Epilogue
Seika and I laid beneath the lightning scarred tree and held each other close. Since I was no longer in tune with my fractured spirit's need for power I was weaker as a shaman, but stronger as a person.
"I do believe new leaves are beginning to bud, master." Seika smiled at me.
"How many times do I have to tell you stop calling me that?" His eyes were bright.
"Only a million more." I laughed, I couldn't stay mad at him. "The wind tells me the shaman you almost killed is now the mother village's elder."
"I'm glad-"
"Master, someone's coming." I heard the footsteps in the distance and we became one with the tree.
A young fox boy walked up to our home and ran his paw over the gnarled wood and a younger wolf boy followed.
"Is something wrong master?" The wolf asked the fox.
"No... We should rest here for the night." The kit and pup laid beneath us and held each other close.