My breath came out in laboured gasps and it echoed throughout the otherwise silent forest. I couldn't hear the footsteps of my comrades or the footsteps of my prey. My once clean purple silk yukata was covered in dust and dirt. I was covered in dirt as well; I could feel leaves and twigs in my messy blonde hair.
I didn't stop to worry about it though. I just kept on pushing through the lush forest. It grew darker by the minute and my shadow had grown into a disfigured monster that nipped at my heels. The forest was eerie and claustrophobic at night, yet I found its nearness comforting. While I looked around a twig snapped behind me and my head turned sharply towards its direction. Right before me was my quarry.
It was an ayakashi, a powerful one at that. It stood on a little embankment. It would have been about a head taller than me if we were on level ground. It was almost entirely a mass of twisted off-white fur. It had on a black and white mask, which sort of resembled a yin yang symbol. It stared at me, spooked, and then it spoke in a rough careful voice.
"It was your coming that helped set me free boy. Your powers are strong." It huffed cautiously while moving closer to me. "What is your name child?"
"Natsume Takashi." I said hesitantly, the spirits rarely ever spoke to me. I was interested in why the spirit was talking to someone like me during a chase. Yet the weight of the sealing pot in my hand reminded me of my job. I took a quick glance around so I knew no one was here but me and the youkai. My curiosity had got the best of me.
"Natsume Takashi, perhaps you know of Natsume Reiko then?"
"No, sorry I don't recognize the name." As I answered I felt a pang of something, like it was something I had forgotten long ago. I pushed the feeling from my mind. "Do you know that I am here to capture you youkai."
"I suspected as much," he grunted throwing a nervous look to the sealing pot in my hand. "You are with the exorcist clan then? You are an exorcist?"
"No!" I defended myself instantly, and with almost too much vigor, "I'm not an exorcist."
"But you are with that clan?" It asked, it seemed confused by what I was saying.
"Yes." I said a little defeated, I started to open the sealing bottle. I figured that the ayakashi would soon turn on me like the others always did. Instead it caught me by surprise.
"It is very sad then," the youkai started. My fingers fell from the lid of the pot and I looked back up to the youkai.
"What?"
"It is sad, human child, that this clan would bind one of their own kind like they would a slave shiki."
I felt a blush spread over my cheeks. The paper binds that ran up my arms felt heavy suddenly. The paper mask that fluttered in the wind and covered my eyes felt less like protection and more like a barrier.
"I'm sorry if I upset you." It said politely, perhaps noticing the tears forming in the corners of my eyes before I did. I was shocked again by how polite this youkai was being. Most ayakashi attacked me in maddened flurries as soon as they knew I was human. I didn't know why it was being so trusting towards me. I didn't understand why I felt myself so drawn to the youkai's kindness and warmth.
Somewhere in the forest I could sense my master's increasing anger. He was the man who turned the youkai in the forest at home against me. He wouldn't let me makes any friends of my own, especially not youkai ones. He was quite upset, the search was taking much longer than he wanted. My master called for me in my head, and I didn't know how long I had before he arrived.
"You must go now ayakashi! Hurry, if my master finds you I don't know what he would do to you," I whispered. I wasn't sure what had come over me but I just didn't want my master to get a hold of this kind youkai.
The youkai looked alarmed at the out burst, and then with a slight nod it turned to go. I too turned from the hairy beast, wanting to quickly lead the other hunters away from this area.
Something blocked my way.
"Sabotaging my hunt shiki?" the man in front of me growled. His black hair was in a long silk ponytail with a few shorter parts hung over his eyes. His right eye was covered in a strange paper eye patch decorated with various markings. He was dressed in a formal black kimono and carried a wooden bow.
"Matoba-sama!" I yelped, suddenly regretting ever disobeying "I'm sorry I don't know why I did that! I can go catch it now! I'm sorry!" my master just gave me a tired and annoyed look. The binding paper that was wrapped around my forearms began to move. Slithering like snakes up my body the paper crawled up my skin and wrapped itself around my neck.
"Stay here and wait. You better hope that we catch it Takashi." The threat pierced through my fear, and I hated myself for suddenly having compassion. I didn't say anything as Matoba stalked away. Behind him were several servant shiki. Black masses with white kimono and porcelain white masks painted with empty black eyes. They were rough and mindless creatures, watching them pass made me worry about the warm youkai even more.
I couldn't go to warn it though. I felt bound to the spot by my master's words and the paper snakes around my neck began to constrict. Soon the dull throbbing pain I felt was turning into a burning pain in my lungs.
The silent forest was alive with noise once again. The cries of my comradesand the shouts of my prey echoed through the forest. As the ringing in my ears overpowered the two noises the darkness of the forest settled in and I found myself being drawn into the darkness of unconsciousness.
When I awoke it was still night time, though perhaps it wasn't the same night. I wasn't in the distant forest any longer but instead was lying near the pond in the backyard of the main house. Even without seeing the house I felt a sudden comfort in returning home. Though I also felt a bit sad.
A trickle of water leaving the pond and the peaceful noise of cricket chirping had replaced the hunting cries. A wisp of wind tickled my face and the cool night air was humid and comfortable. I could hear Matoba speaking to someone in a hushed tone, but I couldn't hear the other person.
I was lying on my side; the paper mask blocked the light of the moon from my eyes. I could feel the weight of something covering me, and the faint smell of forest and youkai that came from it told me what it was. My master's jacket.
A gentle hand was stroking my hair, twisting the pale blonde locks around its fingers. I didn't move my body, it felt sore and heavy. I briefly wondered if I had been drugged for the trip home. The bruise that had most definitely formed around my neck was covered in a cool poultice. I shifted slightly so that the paper mask fell over my eyes completely. Matoba seemed to notice that I had woken up and the caressing stopped.
I heard my master shift and then I felt Matoba's warm breath on my neck. I realized that my head was against Matoba's legs and on a bunched up sweater. We were both sitting on the sweet smelling grass of the yard.
"Takashi," he whispered into my ear, I felt almost too tired to acknowledge him.
"Hmm?" I hummed, too tired to properly ask my master what he wanted.
"I have business to take care of in the country soon. We have a branch house out there; it's near a small town with a nice school. I was thinking I'd let you take a break from private tutors and ayakashi hunting. You've been misbehaving lately and I think a trip to the country side might be good for you." Matoba paused for a second and then started stroking my hair again, "for us."
I had hardly heard anything that he had said, but I got the gist of what he was asking. My master was being nice about it too, asking and all, so it was likely the hunt had gone well for him. With an exhausted nod of my head I gave a half-hearted 'yes' before I started drifting back to oblivion again. He started talking again and I made no effort to listen.
The warm wind and the hands soft petting made me feel conflicted. Did I enjoy the company of the man who spoke softly in my ear and stroked my hair? This Matoba felt more like an older brother. And did I hate the man who had stolen me away from normalcy and forced me to capture countless ayakashi? This man seemed like a ruthless tyrant. Could those two really be the same man? I figured this trip might be a good time to figure it all out.
Or maybe I could just spend all day sleeping in the new branch house.