Yatori Week Day Six

Prompt: Alternate Universe (post-apocalyptic world)

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

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Answered Prayer

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The braying and barking was getting closer. Hiyori held her breath and curled up in her hiding spot amongst the rubble. The wild, rabid animals were hot on her trail and she couldn't run anymore. Her sprained ankle couldn't hold her weight. It was swollen and already purplish, throbbing with pain so intense, the girl had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep the whimpers from revealing her location to the mutated beasts out there.

Once, seemingly in a different time, there were days of peace and sunshine and normal life, but now they were irreversibly lost. Since the war had broken out, the world descended into chaos. Entire populations were wiped out, the governments fell and the humanity was on the brink of extinction.

Hiyori doubted if she would survive the next hour. She shuddered as she heard the animal growling becoming louder. They were near. Her only chance was that the pack wouldn't be able to squeeze through the small hole she had crawled through to get into the cramped cave-like space in the ruins of a tall building. And even if they couldn't get inside, she would still probably die of dehydration, because they certainly would not let her get out. She was hopelessly trapped.

If only she hadn't volunteered to leave the safehouse in search of food. Then she might have lived a few years longer.

Hiyori was scared and desperate. And people like her, with no option out, people with a death sentence were the ones who had no choice but to rely on luck and faith.

So she did the only useless thing she could do in these circumstances. She clasped her hands together and prayed for a miracle.

"Gods, if you are there, please save me. Some of you must still be out there. The world has gone mad, but you can't be dead. Please, if any of you hear me, then save me... I'll do anything. Please, oh god, please!"

"Alright, alright, stop being so pushy, I'm here," a voice answered just next to her ear.

Hiyori's eyes flew open and she gasped in astonishment. She would have jumped away from the owner of the voice but there was no place to move into, so she just plastered herself flat against the wall behind her, eyeing the man warily. He was kneeling next to her, taking up the small space. How did he get there? It seemed like he'd just appeared out of nowhere.

He glanced around with disinterest, his azure blue eyes glowing in the dimness of the hideout like cat's eyes, and looked at her again. "What's this dump? You live here?"

Hiyori got over her surprise and bristled indignantly. "Of course not! Does it look like anyone could live here?"

The man smirked. "Well, I wouldn't know. Nowadays, humans are more like rats."

"Why do you say 'humans'? You're a human, too!"

"Actually, no. I'm a god. Yato, at your service."

Hiyori stared at him. He was wearing a dark jersey and a neckerchief. He looked like a gang member from the southern part of the ruined city.

Yato noticed her lack of belief. "Hey, you requested a god's assistance, right? So, here I am. What do you need?"

"There are mutant beasts outside. I can't run away, because my ankle is sprained," she explained her critical situation. Even if he was not right in the head, he could probably still help her out, she figured.

"So, you need me to kill them? That's easy," Yato said confidently.

"Then, you'll do it?!" she asked, her hope for getting out of there alive reignited.

"No."

"What? But you said it's easy!"

Yato shook his head. "First, you need to pay me and I remember you promising 'anything'." His smile was too dangerous.

Hiyori gulped. "I-I don't have any money on myself, but when I get back to the safehouse, I could get you some," she offered.

Yato wagged a finger at her. "I don't need money. In this world, it's useless. What I need... are worshippers. If you will swear to become my loyal and devoted servant, I'll save you. Do we have a deal?" He reached out a hand to her.

Hiyori looked at it, weighing her options, a bit stunned at the extent of this man's delusion. But she needed his help, so she decided to trust her instincts and shook his hand.

"Do you swear to become the servant of me, Yatogami?" he asked formally.

"Yes, I swear," she said determinedly.

Yato nodded in satisfaction. "Then may our paths intertwine for all eternity."

The exchange was strangely spiritual and Hiyori couldn't shake off the feeling that she had just made a binding contract with a stranger without making any conditions of her own. All that was left was to hope that later on it wouldn't really matter.

The beasts howled right outside and they heard scraping noises at the entrance of small tunnel leading to the hideout; they were found.

Yato cracked his neck. "Alright, I'll be back in a moment, I just need to get Yukine. Don't move from this place."

And before Hiyori could sarcastically point out that she wasn't going anywhere with her busted ankle anyway, he was gone. The girl gawked and rubbed her eyes, but he really disappeared. Just like that.

It occurred to her he might not have been lying at all.

A few seconds later, the barking outside was replaced by yelping and whining. The mutants were audibly hurt and Hiyori longed to see what was happening. She crawled to the narrow tunnel and after checking if nothing was in there, she wormed her way through it.

When she got to the exit, she cautiously peeked out to see if any beasts were around, waiting to get a drop on her. Her eyes widened as she saw the slayed mutants, laying crumpled on the ground. Amongst the carnage stood Yato, holding a beautiful blade she hadn't seen on him when he had first appeared.

The god noticed her almost immediately. "I told you not to move," he said, irritated. "Is that how you're going to follow my orders?"

Hiyori didn't answer, instead focusing on wriggling out of the mouth of the tunnel. She tried to stand up, but her injured leg buckled under her weight and she fell on her knees heavily. It was no use, she couldn't walk.

The god said a name and his weapon transformed into a young blond teenager. Hiyori stared, momentarily forgetting about her problems. How often do you see an item change into a person?

"This is Yukine, he's my Regalia," Yato introduced the boy.

"Hello, I'm Iki Hiyori. Pleased to meet you," she responded in kind, finally revealing her name to the god. Though she wasn't sure if there was any need to, because he could have already known it as a result of his divine powers.

Yato headed for her and crouched, presenting his back to the girl. "Get on, I'll carry you."

"O-Ok!" Hiyori was pleasantly surprised that he didn't leave her after all, as it had been her main suspicion all along. From experience she knew not to overly trust people, as they tended to stab you whenever you grew too comfortable and turned your back to them. The world wasn't as safe as it had been before the calamity of the great war.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and latched her legs around his waist. Yato grabbed her thighs and adjusted her position comfortably before standing up. He set off at a moderate pace with Yukine staying close by his side.

Hiyori quickly realized that something was wrong. "Where are you going?" she asked, perplexed. "The way to the safehouse is in the opposite direction!"

Yato chuckled. "Who said I'm going to your safehouse?"

"B-But!" Hiyori fumbled for words. "Where are you taking me then?" she finally questioned.

"My place, so you can get started on your end of the deal."

Hiyori acknowledged that there was probably nothing she could do. She had made a lifelong commitment to the god and it seemed like he fully expected her to honour it. She had no choice but to do just that as she didn't know what he might do to her otherwise. She trembled, remembering how he had taken out all of the beasts. On the other hand, she thought, he offered a good protection from mutants and malicious humans alike.

Yes, it was better to stick with him for now, Hiyori decided.

And this is how Yatogami and the first high priestess of the Yato religion met.

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The End

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