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For those wondering: yes, the title of this chapter was inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Please read, review, and enjoy! : )
I do not own Ao no Exorcist.
Dawn was on the horizon; or at least, Mineko imagined it was, through the tangle of trees surrounding the manor.
After hours of sitting and waiting and dozing in an armchair, she was finally allowed to go to the kitchen and forage for food—under supervision, of course. No one had asked her if she was hungry: consideration came in the form of another black suit appearing at the door, saying, "Get something to eat."
But her stomach was not ready for a meal.
For several minutes she stared at the half-eaten pastry and empty glass on the table in front of her, the missing contents—now in her stomach—feeling heavier than usual. When she stood, she felt dehydration prickling at the corners of her mind alongside anxiety, light-headedness mixing with a dose of cold adrenaline that roiled in her system, whispering that something was coming, was going to happen soon.
As the black suit ushered her into the hall, she thought about asking when she could speak to Maria, and when they would allow her to return home. The burning curiosity was stamped out to the best of her ability as she came to the conclusion that inquiring would only invite more suspicion. It was funny how quickly she had become the stranger in the manor.
Wood creaked underfoot. "Mineko-chan."
Mineko spun around so violently that she bumped into the black suit behind her. "Maria-san." Without offering an apology, she hurried around the escort as he caught his balance. But the caretaker wasn't alone. She lifted her eyes to the pair of blonde twins following the woman, her pace faltering until she stopped altogether, several feet short of her destination.
Maria covered the remaining floor between them, her eyes traveling down to her slippers before rolling back up to her face. Up close she looked tired, the lines on her forehead molded into a slight frown, her eyelids held tight in a squint that seemed her best attempt at keeping alert and focused. "I need to speak with you."
"Go see the Captain. She's in the guest hall." Mineko looked at the brother who spoke, but he wasn't talking to her. Behind her, she heard the black suit leave, the heels of his shoes clacking down the hallway and around the corner.
"I—I need to talk to you too."
I think I should go, Maria-san. I've been thinking things over this morning… I'd rather not be here if I'll always be treated like this, looked at like I'm in the way or creating problems for everyone. But I'll come back. When this is all over, I'll come back.
"Let's talk elsewhere. The kitchen…?"
"No o-one is in there," she answered, glancing once again at the twins. They didn't appear inclined to give them privacy, their matching expressions stern and judgemental. One crossed his arms, almost as if saying, "Can we move things along?"
"That'll do." Maria laid a hand on her arm, steering her around the brothers. Just as she anticipated, the men did not stop at the kitchen doors, and they did not pause to shut them to prevent anyone from wandering in or eavesdropping. Whatever Maria wanted to discuss, she realized, must have already been known to others.
"What did you want to talk about?" Maria asked when the two of them were seated at the table, leaning in.
"You know, um… W-w-whatever you have to say is probably more important, so I'll w-wait…"
Maria was still for a moment, and then she straightened her back, folding her hands in her lap beneath the table. "We've spoken about what happened earlier this morning—Sakata and I, and our guests. For privacy, and safety, and security reasons, it has been agreed upon that only essential staff will remain here for the duration of their stay. As the owner of this estate, Sakata is obligated to stay, and I will keep things running as usual, assisting where I am needed."
Mineko was quiet. To the right, just over Maria's shoulder, the twins watched, arms crossed.
"We're going to send you home for the time being. The decision was unanimous. There's a lot going on now, and if another incident like this morning's occurs, we don't want you to be in harm's way or have to do something you're not prepared to do."
Nodding was the only thing Mineko found she was capable of doing. She should have spoken first. She shouldn't have lost her nerve. Now leaving wasn't a decision; it was an order. It didn't feel right.
"I'll call. When we're ready for you to return, I'll contact you." The expression on her face caused just as much pain as the words that went with it, hopeful and comforting as she pushed her away. "Think of it as an extended vacation. You'll be paid for the time off, and if you need anything, you can still call me. I might not be able to answer immediately, but I will answer."
"Thank you, Maria-san." They weren't the words she wanted to say, but they came out nonetheless, mechanical and emotionless. Her fingertips pressed into her palms at the thought of Maria maintaining the estate on her own.
Why don't any of you help her? You're running around for the man in the guest suite, she's running around for all of you, and now she has manage the manor on her own?
"I know it's upsetting, but this is for the best. I know…" Maria seemed to notice her attention on the brothers again. "What did you want to talk about?"
Her gaze dropped to the table, and she forced a shrug out of her stiff shoulders, a little shocked at the stab of anger in her chest. "I guess i-i-it's not important now. I w-was going to suggest I leave, so things could calm down, and…everyone came to the same conclusion. So w-w-we must be great minds, thinking alike…" She tried to chuckle, unsure if Maria believed her.
"Take some time to rest, Mineko-chan. I know you like to stay busy, and you're eager to help, but there's nothing wrong with setting aside time for yourself—and I don't mean spending your day doing chores or running errands. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking." The corners of her mouth lifted into a sheepish grin, and for a moment, the kitchen felt like it should have: warm, cozy, and filled with the quiet banter of companions before the start of the work day.
The train arrived almost thirty minutes late, hissing to a stop beside the small platform covered in flecks of mud and shoeprints.
Mineko said nothing to the woman beside her, crossing the brightly-colored warning line when the doors slid open and taking the closest seat available. Her pale escort followed and sat at a respectable distance, back upright, knees together, and hands resting in her lap. She didn't talk either, barely even looked at Mineko when she twisted her head in her direction. The atmosphere in the taxi had been the same. It made her uncomfortable.
Mineko looked out into the early blue-grey of the opposite window, past her translucent reflection in the lighted car. It occurred to her that the unnamed woman might be enjoying the journey as much as she.
The train departed, and gradually civilization drifted away. Trees shrunk to the size of hedges and shrubs, until the countryside drowned them in an expanse of tall grass and mud. Swaying gently as it changed tracks, the train could have passed for a boat cruising on a lake, the green spires on either side of it nudged by the wind like fish in a current. Had she been alone, she would have closed her eyes and let exhaustion do what it will with her, but the unfamiliar presence accompanying her kept her rigid, unable to settle her eyes on anything for long. By the time the train reached her stop, she was very ready to say good-bye to the woman who stepped off the train with her.
"I w-w-walk from here." She stopped near the platform exit, unsure if the woman intended to follow her all the way to her front door. "It's about fi-i-ifteen minutes." Light hair swayed against white cheeks as her escort nodded. Mineko turned and exited the platform, holding back a tired sigh.
This is going too far. Do they expect me to sneak back to the manor? Why does she have to know where I live? Maybe they think I orchestrated the incident and I'm returning to my lair to meet my cohorts?
There was still standing water pooled along the curbs, spilling onto sidewalks where the ground was uneven, creating a mirrorscape as far as the eye could see that wavered at the touch of the slightest breeze. The puddles of rainwater proved no match for her boots; she splashed through every one in front of her, sticking close to storefronts where she was safe from the wake of cars. Her pace was not unreasonable, but her silent companion never walked beside her. It might have been out of courtesy, or that she sensed her agitation—or it might have simply been that she smelled the unwashed clothes she wore from the day before.
They were nearing the edge of town when she stopped in front of a storefront nestled between two larger buildings. Small, pine-green banners hung between two wooden posts supporting the porch, waving lacklustre greetings in the autumn morning. Old, dark, and worn, the two-story pharmacy-turned-house was as charming as it was haunting.
"I live here," she told the pale woman, who looked mildly unimpressed. It was a shack compared to the Sakata manor.
Mineko averted her gaze to the puddle she was standing in, her hands finding the straps of her backpack and giving them a squeeze. "I have some errands to run now. Thank you for comi-ing out this far…" She still didn't know the woman's name. Not that it really mattered anymore.
"I'm sure Maria-san and Sakata-san spoke with you this morning." Mineko almost jumped out of her skin when the young woman spoke. Her voice wasn't breathy and fragile like she expected, but deep and soft. "We elected to relocate to Sakata-san's residence because we would like our stay to remain private. The Commander's health is our top priority, and in order for him to recover, he needs rest and care away from busy settings, away from the public eye. I would like to ask again—as I'm sure your supervisors did earlier—that you please keep any information about our stay to yourself. Everyone will be very grateful." When she finished her piece, Mineko blinked at her for several quiet seconds. In spite of her somewhat disdainful expression, the words that came from her mouth were polite and sincere.
"I don't w-want to make trouble for anyone. I don't know the Commander, but i-i-if helping you helps Maria-san, and Sakata-san, then thi-is is still part of my job. I can do that much."
"Thank you, Matsumoto-san." She bowed lowly, and Mineko bowed back after a slight delay, unsure if she should say something in return.
"I hope he gets w-w-well soon." Grey eyes met hers for an instant, and then the woman turned and walked back the way they had come. Her shoulders sagged as she watched the woman travel down the street. She didn't ask why she needed an escort home. She should have asked how long it might take the man—the Commander—to recover. Now, more than anything, she needed a shower, and maybe food if she could stomach it, and later, her own bed.
She pulled out her keys and pushed aside one of the heavy doors, slipping into the dark of her living space. Boxed in by buildings on two sides, the renovated store's only natural light filtered in from the doors and windows at the front and rear. Shrugging off her backpack and coat and setting her boots to dry on the mat, she made her way to the opposite end of the shop, where a supply room had been converted into a large bathroom. Pale sunlight shone through the small windows stretching along the top of the wall, dulling what little splashes of color decorated the room.
Quickly ridding herself of her old clothes, she stepped into the shower and stood under the spray for several minutes, combing her hands through her hair. She needed to call the rehabilitation center and let them know she would be a little late to her shift. She wasn't the only volunteer on the schedule, so the work would still get done with or without her, but if something came up to put everyone behind schedule… She should have called the moment she stepped out of the manor. Hurrying through the rest of her routine, she shut the water off and slid back the shower curtain, reaching for a purple towel dangling on the nearby hook.
A flurry of shadows danced over her skin and up the bathroom wall, accompanied by a scratching on the roof. The curtain rattled as she jerked it back across her body. A gasp hissed between her lips when she raised her gaze and saw black shapes dart past the windows. She held her position for a couple more seconds, her fingers slowly releasing the curtain when all was silent. A bead of water from the showerhead tapped her on the shoulder.
Birds. You nearly gave yourself a heart attack over a flock of birds. She grabbed her towel, eyes on the blur of morning sky through the panes.
With her towel wrapped snuggly around her frame, she stopped outside the bathroom door and looked at the narrow set of stairs that seemed to run into nowhere, the overhead latch and door nearly invisible against the dark ceiling. She listened and heard nothing. She felt for something familiar and did not find it.
The house was empty.
"I'm sure the birds appreciate your hard work, Matsumoto-san."
"I'm not s-s-o sure. The geese never leave me alone." Mineko smiled at the comment but avoided making eye contact, choosing to focus her efforts on imaginary specks of dirt on the food tray.
"They're just a little aggressive about showing their gratitude, that's all." She let out a small laugh and rinsed the plastic, hoping her skin did not betray her as the hot water rushed over her gloves. Being around the vet assistant made her feel warm. It was a sudden rush of tingling warmth, like there was too much energy moving around beneath her skin, and she had a nagging anxiety that it made her flush red all over.
She hated it.
But she liked him.
Almost six years her senior, Akashiro Senji was one of only a handful of people below the age of forty whom she interacted with on a semi-regular—typically once or twice a week—basis. Friendly, intelligent, and kind, he had a charismatic air about him. He was also married.
"I'll be on my way after I f-fi-inish these dishes. I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier."
Senji tossed his gloves in the trash can. "Did Tamaki-san already leave?" She heard him turn to glance over his shoulder at her, seemingly dismissing her apology.
"No," she shook her head and set the tray aside to dry. "He's still here—out back. He's seeing what he can do about all the standing w-water by the delivery door. I'll check on hi-i-im before I leave."
"Thank you."
Mineko turned off the water and glanced at him with a smile. "You're welcome."
A few minutes later the sink was wiped down, the counters scrubbed, and the day's trash wrapped and ready to be discarded. Hoisting the bag by the knot, she carried it out the back door and down the shallow steps to the trash can, looking around the alley for any sign of the other volunteer. Dumping the trash and finding no trace of Tamaki, she walked across the unpaved road and pushed open the tall wooden gate surrounding the center's expanded property.
"Tamaki-san?" she asked the man sitting on an empty crate stashed in the corner of the yard. "Are you okay?"
Dark wrinkles set in a permanently tanned face lightened when the old man raised his head. "Matsumoto-san… Yes, yes; I'm all right. Needed to sit down for a minute. Thought I'd keep Yamato-dono company." He pointed a calloused finger at the goose marching around the pen closest to him—the oldest resident and one of the few who could not be released back into the wild.
The bird bobbed its head and honked loudly at her as she passed, scaring the pair of ducks in the adjacent enclosure. Tamaki chuckled at the display as Mineko pulled down her rolled sleeves and fidgeted with the cuffs.
"He'll always be a human," he told her, his lips drawn into a toothless grin that reminded her of a smiling Buddha. "Doesn't matter to him that we look different."
Mineko smiled back and nodded. "I—um—I came to see i-if you needed help with anything. I saw there isn't much w-w-water left by the steps…"
Setting his hands on his knees, Tamaki pushed himself off the makeshift seat and picked up the shovel resting against the fence. "I've done what I set out to do. Unless it rains tonight, most of it should be dried out by tomorrow afternoon."
Mineko opened the perimeter gate and sent a final glance around the yard. "W-w-what did you do with it all?"
"Splashed it on the road," he gestured up and down the dirt alley as the gate creaked closed behind him. "It's a little muddy now, but tomorrow… Trying to read the weather?" He had stopped with her as she faced the back of the center, her gaze skimming over the roof.
"Yeah." A smile flittered across her face again as she turned from the swarm of soot sprites hovering around the walls of the clinic like globs of ink. She had never seen so many in one place before. "I thi-i-ink tonight will be clear."
"Me too." Tamaki hung the shovel on the rack by the back door while she slowly climbed the steps, her posture relaxed but her mind alert as she eyed two sprites floating around the top of the door frame. The pair bumped into one another and spun slowly in opposite directions, seemingly unconcerned by her presence. When she was certain Tamaki was on the steps behind her she opened the door and moved inside quickly.
"Got a sudden chill," she explained, rubbing one of her arms as she shut the door, keeping her eyes on the older man but searching for sprites in her peripheral.
Bidding Tamaki and the remaining staff good-night, she left through the front doors and made a show of looking at the afternoon sky, letting her eyes sweep over the roof with disinterest. There must have been at least one hundred of the little creatures.
Nestling her hands in her coat pockets, she started her journey home, thinking about the strangeness of it. She hadn't seen any when she was cleaning in the yard, and she hadn't turned around when she left to find Tamaki, so there was no telling if the black things had appeared in a swarm or if they had been hanging around the clinic for minutes or hours.
The clinic was not as far a walk as the train station, yet she found herself looking over her shoulder every few minutes. It wasn't curiosity or fear that turned her head, however, it was something else that she couldn't even describe to herself—less of a feeling and more of an impulse.
I need rest, she thought as she passed under a green banner and pulled out her keys. Six soot sprites huddled by a window, the sight nowhere near as unnerving as the swarm. As she unlocked the door, one detached itself from the group and drifted over, settling in the air above the keyhole. A second sprite floated her way, and then a third, forming a moving chain that idled towards the sprite by her hand. A small wave of her hand sent them adrift, giving her just enough room to slide open the door and slip inside without inviting any in with her.
Mineko woke in darkness, disoriented but alert, as the alarm on her phone sounded from the small shelf beside her bed. Her fingers fumbled for the switch to the reading light clipped to the undecorated headboard, flicking it on one instant and rushing to form a visor across her brow the next. Sliding the phone across the shelf and flipping the screen around, she stared at the title running across the floral screensaver for several seconds before dismissing it. The room fell silent. She had forgotten to turn off her work alarm.
The light of the reading lamp raining down on her, she rolled onto her opposite side, holding the phone until the screen went black. There was nowhere she needed to be. What was she supposed to do all day? What was she supposed to do for half a week from now on? She was still tired; could she fall back asleep?
For an hour she laid in bed, trying to push away her thoughts and settle down to sleep, but neither her mind nor her body was willing to comply, and she eventually kicked away the blankets and sat herself at the kitchen table with the previous day's newspaper in front of her.
When daylight glowed around the edges of the curtains, she decided to leave the quiet of the house. There were dozens more soot sprites outside the storefront, huddling under the porch roof, knocking softly against the windows, hovering just in front of the door like a cloud of green-eyed gnats. Nothing could be done to stop the few that made it past her delayed defense, brushing past her legs and dangling on invisible strings just out of reach above her head. She locked the door and decided to enter upon her return through the back.
What are so many of them doing here? They couldn't have followed me—they've never done that before. Something must be attracting them. Maybe a smell… She coughed and shook her head, braving the haze of soot sprites to make it onto the sidewalk. The thought of the sprites at the rehabilitation center infesting the house made her stomach flip. If so many somehow managed to get inside, she wasn't sure she would be able to live there anymore, let alone remove them from the property.
I could try a pesticide. Or maybe there are plants that would deter them? But if they're some kind of spirit, a religious symbol or blessed object might work best. Having never been bothered by their presence before, she had not deemed it necessary to do any real research on them, aside from occasionally reading the odd article or two about youkai and mental health when alone on her lunch break.
The bookshop near the market was the closest thing to a library in town. Hardly anyone purchased a book from the shelves, like her, choosing instead to sit and read in one of the small chairs tucked into any place where there was room, or at the desk where a couple computers were set up for public use. The shopkeeper—an old, white-haired woman with nowhere else to go—didn't seem to mind that people did not buy anything. It was probably the only time she had company.
A pair of old eyes glanced her way when she walked through the door and then returned, contently, to a gossip magazine. Mineko went straight to a computer but hesitated with her fingers on the keyboard, thinking. Slowly, she began typing in the search window, reconsidered, erased the phrase, and started a new one. Biting her lower lip, she let the website run its search. The screen that appeared seconds later was filled with site links, and when she scrolled down, she saw that she had more than one page of websites to sift through. Satisfied to see an abundance of matches for her query, she opened the first link and started reading, eager to find a useful bit of information.
Several hours later she closed her search, pushing her chair away from the desk and rubbing her eyes while supressing a sigh. There was so much out there, and so little that was helpful. It only made it more difficult that she didn't really know what she was looking for.
The best result she had found was a young mother's blog post boasting about the artistic talent of her four-year-old, in which she included several sample works, one of them depicting an enormous soot sprite in purple and navy blue marker. The color might have been off, and the proportions exaggerated, but the eyes, round and green and blank, were perfect.
Abandoning the computer for concrete works, she started perusing the aisle containing religious and spiritual texts. Reaching for a book on folklore on the top shelf, she heard her stomach growl, and swiped the book before discreetly looking around to see if anyone had heard. She cleared her throat and flipped to the index. Given the chapter titles, it seemed like a short historical piece examining the appearance of religious ideas and figures as a product of cultural and economic shifts, rather than the myths and stories themselves. She returned the book to the shelf and turned, seeing someone moving swiftly towards her.
"Matsumoto-san." Pale cheeks flushed pink and narrow shoulders rose and fell. "I am sorry to interrupt your shopping… Will you return with me?"
How did you know I was here? asked her brain, while her mouth stuttered out a dumb, "W-w-what?"
The woman took a step closer to her but said nothing for a few moments, placing a hand on the bookshelf and catching her breath. "The Commander asks that you come back to the manor. He will not say why; he will not tell anyone." She was worried. It wasn't just in the dusting of pinks on her cheeks; it was in the downward turn of her mouth, the delicate slant of her eyebrows, the dim sparkle in her eyes that brought no tears. And yet she was still pretty. Mineko felt a flicker of jealousy and disgust that the young woman might be well-suited as an intermediary for that very reason.
"When? For how-w long?" The woman opened her mouth but was silent, almost as if the questions had not crossed her mind.
"Today. If you can return today..."
He's upset. She swallowed. Her mouth felt dry.
"I…" The other woman shook her head. "I don't know for how long. I think he wants to speak with you again?"
Mineko looked at the messenger and then glanced around, wondering if anyone was listening to their conversation. She read the spines on the shelf at eye-level, thinking about the soot sprites crowding around her front door and her lack of preparation, the dark, the quiet, and the shadows of birds fluttering across her bathroom wall.
"I'll go."