Chapter XXVIII
〜Journal〜
Author's Note: An update, yaay! I would love some criticism to improve my writing if anyone has any tips, otherwise it'll be hard for me to better my mistakes. I want to know what my readers think it makes my day hearing from you. I hope you enjoy this story progressing chapter :)
During the assembly, Haku sat amongst many Gods being one of the youngest… next to Kasai Sakamoto. The Fire God was just as silent as he, just listening as Fūjin discussed some human world affairs. There was strangely a large amount of disruptive behavior among the mortals. They would leave their villages, some even forming groups of bandits. Just like what happened to Shiroryu, more villages were under attack lately. Countless villagers were leaving the territory strictly forbidden to leave; the Oracles were at a loss what to do when the word of their God wasn't being obeyed.
Fūjin told the Gods before them, "Humans are willful creatures. They will become sick of their secluded contained lifestyle in the same village no matter its condition. It is your duty to keep them under control. They have the potential to destroy our world—our very existence if we let them go out of hand."
Looking around, Haku eyed the other Gods and Goddesses. They were all intently listening and nodding their heads. When his gaze landed on Kasai, the nuisance of a God bared the smallest of smiles. No one was paying attention to anyone other than Fūjin so only Haku witnessed his smirk. Then he knew the occurrences in the human world couldn't be a coincidence. But was it right to think Kasai held the potential to corrupt so many people? What would his motive for such a thing be? It was undoubtingly suspicious.
"Do not forget the golden rule," began Fūjin. "It is your responsibility to govern your people; you hold the power to keep them in line, use it. And never allow them to see you for what you are."
After that Haku looked over at the Fire God and their eyes had met. Kasai glared and so did Haku, both knowing his dark secret of appearing before his people when under attack. "Ahem," Fūjin cleared his throat and the two youngest Gods turned their attention back to the discussion.
For the rest of the meeting, Haku didn't care to listen. Everything said was either about how to control the humans or punish them. It was nonsense. What gave them the right to control an entire species? Even though most humans chose from their own free will to worship the Gods… it was still wrong to punish them. That's why Haku didn't care, not about the rules or the demanding sacrifices. It was all so stupid. If only his father was still around to shed his light on the matter. Even though he once punished Shiroryu and nearly killed Chihiro in the process, he had a cause. However, it was much deeper than Haku's comprehension.
Haku knew every time one of his people left the land marked by his father, and he let them come and go well aware of the consequences. After all if anyone from his village told a soul about his appearance and it spread to other villages, it would bring nothing but bedevilment upon him. The Elders would undoubtingly be informed and Haku would be prosecuted. It was only a matter of time until one of the humans who left Shiroryu or even a merchant told another of their miraculous or even haunting revelation. Only a matter of time and the peaceful days would be over.
。。。。
Within the temple of the Fire God, every room was set aglow from the evening sun. With windows in nearly every room, it was hard to escape the light that would shine through. Yuuko walked along the main hall until she was in the private section of the temple only allowed for the God and herself. With a tray of food in her hands, she walked down an unlit hall until stopping in front of a plain once vacant room.
Going inside, Yuuko reached up with one hand to pull down a string that lit a single lamp hanging from the ceiling. Setting the tray of food on the tatami floor, she then crouched down to a lone figure slumped against the wall. "How are you feeling?" she asked the beaten boy.
There was no response. He didn't usually talk; it was hard to see him this way. If she hadn't begged Kasai to be his caretaker, this boy would probably be dead. Whatever Kasai was doing to him was cruel, something she was left in the dark about. But he told Yuuko that the boy was needed alive and that no others were to know of his existence here. Kasai trusted her.
"Try to eat this." She egged on though he showed no sign of complying. After a few seconds of taking in the sight of his bruises and scratches, Yuuko sighed. "What is he doing to you Masashi?" she asked more to herself knowing he wasn't going to listen to her. But this time his head moved up just enough to look at the woman.
Masashi stared at her for a moment and Yuuko was starting to expect something to happen. In the end, his head slumped back down, defeated. Grabbing his shoulder, Yuuko didn't know what to do. He was hurting, both mentally and physically. "I'll get some medicine." Yuuko went to rise just as Masashi looked back up at her.
"Where's Chihiro?" he asked with a croak the one thing that had been bugging him for weeks. Seeing Chihiro's mother in such a place only made him worry more. Yuuko stared down at his pleading face that begged for an answer.
Smiling solemnly Yuuko told him, "She's somewhere safe."
After treating his wounds Masashi didn't say another word, Yuuko urged him to try and eat something or to at least drink the water. Leaving the tray on the tatami Yuuko told him she had to leave, that Kasai was expecting her. Eating dinner in front of the God, it was always tense. Yuuko did her best to look composed and resilient.
"How is he?" Kasai asked.
Looking up from the table, Yuuko stared before answering candidly. "Not good," there was a pause before she said anything more. "I'm afraid one his ribs might be broken."
Kasai stared at the mortal woman who averted her gaze downward. Her eyes resembled her daughter's, she probably missed that girl but who was he to really care. "Hmm," he hummed aloud – thinking. It was silent once again. Kasai was thinking as he barely touched his food and not of Masashi. His only thoughts of him were as long as he lived, that's all that mattered.
Gazing at the woman some more, she continued eating because without she would die in a matter of weeks. Why were mortals so weak? It was something that always perplexed him. The way they thought and acted was so different compared to him, how long would it take before he understood?
"Do you know how to write?" he asked gaining Yuuko's attention.
Putting down her chopsticks, Yuuko eyed him skeptically. "Yes," she claimed.
Without averting his gaze, they stared at one another until he continued from his thoughts. "Write a letter, I'll send it for you."
Not sure what he meant, Yuuko's heart fluttered. "What do you mean?" she asked eagerly.
"I'll send it for you, to your daughter." Kasai put down his tableware and adjusted his robe as he stood – finished. "Leave it here when you're done." He gestured toward the table and Yuuko nodded brightly.
Once she left his dining room, Yuuko went to find something to write on. The only place with paper she knew of was the study so she headed there first. The familiar room she felt the most comfortable in was sparked to life from a nearby lamp. Searching the shelves for something that might have a blank piece of paper, she didn't want to tear anything out of the books.
Going to a more secluded section of the study she hadn't touched yet, Yuuko rummaged through scrolls and hardbacks. Her fingertips were dusty from no one cleaning where she disturbed; she wiped them off on her inexpensive kimono. She was the one who washed it anyways.
After moving a few scrolls, there was a small section of booklets uncovered. They were floppy with paper covers and looked promising to hold a blank sheet of paper. Grabbing one from the middle Yuuko flipped through the pages and saw almost every single one was filled with neat characters. When the cover fell over the pages, she stared at the kanji presented to her.
"Suijin Nushi," Yuuko read the name aloud. One of those names she'd heard before but didn't know who this person might be. A relative of Haku's maybe? Staring at the cover she didn't know whether to look through or not but knew this journal didn't belong in a place like this. She kept it by her side until she'd be able to return it.
。。。。
Back in Shiroryu, there was a rise of events that were leading out of control. The Oracle was just an elderly woman, what more could she do besides stress the rules written in scrolls. If they were to disobey them, a punishment such as what happened eleven years ago might reoccur. But why with so much corruption going on around them, was the Nushi God staying silent? Had he given up on his village?
The old woman with graying hair cascading down her back started up longingly at the cloud swirled evening sky. The rain was plentiful and their little crops were prosperous for now. The damage done by the attack was nearly recovered. Yet a lot of disbelievers were appearing from the depths of the village. They spread the word of hatred. To the very being that saved their lives, they were going to be his demise.
"Whatever may I do for you, Nushi-sama?"
A group of villagers spoke up from the others. "He's a monster! You all saw what he's capable of." A man shouted to another. A crowd was forming and they argued over their God.
"That monster saved us, or would you rather be dead?!" spat a middle-aged man. The group behind him glared at the ones disrespecting the Nushi name and trying to leave Shiroryu.
"My son is missing," a woman spoke up with a little girl standing in front of her. "We're going to find him." Looking over at her husband, their faces showed of worry. They were different from the others who were also leaving. Though everyone seemed to have their own reason.
The angry villager standing nearby adjusted the pack on his back filled to the brim. "Well I'm sick of this place, I don't need a God controlling my life. Kill me if you may!"
"You're making a mistake," said a woman before she was curtly interrupted.
"If the rest of you want to live as their pet then so be it." Turning away to leave, the others stared at the loyal Nushi worshippers before following behind the man trampling out of Shiroryu to never return. Though Reimi's home had always been here in Shiroryu, as she looked back to the people watching her family leave, she hoped one day to return with Masashi.
More and more followed, they wanted something other than the hard life that their village brought onto them. Shiroryu wasn't a large place; it was rough surviving, especially during the winter. So many of the weak would die… It wasn't that they all hated the Nushi God, they were thankful for being saved, but they sought more. In a matter of weeks, so many had gone and left Shiroryu, at least a hundred. Though many stayed and continued their lives as if nothing happened wondering if the others were punished. The Oracle could only watch the disruption happening before her and feared for the other villages.
It was all beginning so hastily.
