Underwater Savior
Chapter 12: Attacked!
by LadyRainStarDragon
Not mine. I can only wish. If you've seen the movie, then you know which characters aren't in it. Hey, at least the plots in my stories are mine!
"The humans are going to WHAT?"
"Oh, you can't be serious. How are they going to fill in a river?"
"Nice joke to break up the monotony of hiding from the dog demon."
Obviously, a cacophony had greeted the Lord of the Kohaku River upon his announcement to the gathered kami of the area.
"It's no joke. In two weeks my river will begin a battle with the humans who seek to fill it."
"Brother, where will you go if they succeed?"
Kohakunushi smiled at the little green snake that had claimed him as an elder brother. "Who knows? I'm sure not going to make it easy on them though. I will need everyone's help in my river's defense. The greatest threat is the dog demon that's on the loose."
The kami of a thorn patch near a waste treatment facility in the area spoke next.
"Lord Kohakunushi, how can you say that the dog demon is the greater threat when your very livelihood is being threatened by the humans? Let the demon eat them."
"He is the greater threat because if he escapes any control that is on him, then he could eat anyone, not just the humans. He has already chased the little one around, and all of you have been in hiding very often as of late."
The thorn dipped her head in shame as the little snake wound herself about the river lord's ankles trying to soothe him.
A little weasel hopped carefully onto Lady Thorn's shoulder.
"So, can I please steal the heavy machinery this time? I really think that it would have worked in saving Maiden Snake's clearing."
"Cause as much chaos as you want, just try not to hurt the humans. I don't think any of us want to stand before the Great Council for affecting the delicate balance between our worlds."
By this time Thorn had looked up again, and was eyeing the blade now tied at the kami's waist.
"Why caution us when it seems that you are resorting to weaponry against the filth?"
"This blade is not for the humans, Thorn. I will employ this against the demon."
The blade that rested at his hip pulsed as a chill swept over him. A scream was heard across the night, high and shrill that caused each member of the gathering to turn in horror towards the sound. It sounded like a child's scream and the direction it had came from caused the kami of one of the house gardens to drop onto the meadow's ground. It spurred another towards the scream.
"Chihiro!"
The house had been quiet, and she had been sleeping. What had awakened her was not a noise, or even a lack of noise. No, what had awakened the child was the hot, fetid breath of something looming over her. Doing what instinct dictated, she lashed out, her tiny hands having no result on the immovable head, the golden eyes she now stared into clearing showing annoyance.
In fear, she screamed. She wondered how this great beast had come into her room, and why her parents were not heard rushing to her to save her from this nightmare.
"You are mine now human. You will be excellent bait to lure your protector dragon to me."
Fear filled the child, and she looked at the door, wondering why the house was so silent. Where were her mom and dad?
"You parents won't be coming, trinket. Such an old dog as I has learned more than a little magic. Sleeping spells are very easy for one such as I. They will sleep through the night, only awakening when it is time for your father to go to work."
The old dog began muttering a chant in an ancient form of Japanese. The spell made her feel a little sick, but it did not seem to have the desired effect judging by the expression in his eyes. A familiar voice echoed in her head as she saw those haunting jade eyes in her mind.
"I will protect and provide for her to the best of my ability."
Chihiro did not know when he had said that, but the voice and eyes she knew belonged to Kohaku.
'Nigihayami Kohakunushi, please help me.'
Kohakunushi felt the pull of a believer uttering a prayer. What scared him the most was that the voice was that of his little human friend. The scream had indeed belonged to her. He flew towards her home, as a vision of the face he was coming to hate filled his inner eye. He noticed that it was tinted in the stark colors of fear.
'How did he manage to get inside? I made sure that a strong barrier was around her home. The only way he could get in would be if someone had brought something of his inside.'
A window burst open to him on the second story, and as he plunged through it, his heart would have frozen if it could grow any colder. There, looming over his innocent treasure's bed, was the evil demon. A demon who now eyed him with surprise and fear, as this house was considered part of the kami's territory while it housed any Ogino. Slowly, he moved closer.
"Get away from her."
Kohakunushi so wanted to run him through right now, and the blade at his side positively screamed it's bloodlust for all to hear. He couldn't risk the fight happening before the child's eyes though. Witnessing such a scene could possibly taint her young soul, making her perfect Pearl imperfect. His nature was to protect, and so protect her he would.
The dog spirit turned and ran, flinging itself through the window and running through the night. Sobbing attracted his attention to the form now quivering in the bed. Taking the remaining few steps towards the sobbing child, he wondered what could have happened if he had come in just a little bit later. He was being stretched too thin lately, and the slips in his guardianship showed it to him. He wrapped an arm about the little human, and pulled her to his chest, allowing her salty tears to soak his clothing.
"Sh. Everything is alright now Chihiro."
She only continued crying. He vaguely recalled his own mother having rocked him as a dragon pup, and had seen human mothers do the same with their young so long ago. Trying to soothe the human pup, he too began to rock. She slowly started to calm down, and soon the sniffling stopped as she lay limp against his chest.
As she rested, he allowed his presence to expand to fill the whole dwelling, searching for the object that had allowed his enemy clearance into this slightly detached part of his protectorate. In what appeared to be a study or office of some kind, he could now feel the enemy's power signature. Following it, he noticed a paper, which looked to be an advertisement for a job opening with Good Fortune Construction. Concentrating, the paper dissolved into a pocket of water that suddenly surrounded it, purified of the demonic essence that clung to it.
Looking down at the precious parcel nestled in his arms, he saw that he had achieved his task. Not only was she safe, but now resting peacefully as well. Kohakunushi carefully laid her back down on her bed, covering her with the soft blankets.
Once more, he flew through the window of her bedroom, carefully closing it behind him and placing a new barrier on the home. Up under one of the eves in a hard-to-find place, he sealed it. As long as the seal remained, no unapproved or uninvited spiritual entity would be able to enter. This completed, he set out on the hunt for the demon that had been so close to his possession.
Greed paused at his power point, resting and thinking. Somehow, the blasted river dragon had known of his attempted kidnaping before he could even finish it. His question was how. Something else was bothering him. No one had ever been able to throw off one of his sleeping spells, but she had done it twice. It was almost as if his magic had encountered a barrier around her rolled off. That was silly though, wasn't it? Such a young child couldn't manage a barrier.
He needed a new plan to get what he wanted.
Reviews
Little Witch: Thanks
Spirited Away Fangirl: Thanks for the info.
Shitza: Working on that next chapter for you.
NitenGale: It will be interesting if I can actually pull off the sad ending, ne?
KatsyKat: Well, not quite what you had suggested, hope you liked though.
Waves to Shutsumon, big book worm, Kyia Star, Ahara Musici,