The girl woke with a jolt, pain immediately searing up her neck as the release of sleep ebbed away. Curling up, her fingers pressed hard on the burning sensation, sighing as she felt the flames of it travel to her face. Flipping over on her side, she threw away the sharp rock that had been jutting into her back. Her half-lidded eyes dragged across the bodies of her sleeping clanmates. The restless bodies and shaky breaths billowing into the cold night only served to remind her of their predicament.

They had lost too many clanmates to the curse already, and these conditions were only hastening the pace of its vengeance. She had seen the fate of clanmates who had grown too tortured, the ever-growing marks of beasts littered across all of their bodies. She looked up at the moon. It seemed to mock them with its false brightness, above the qualms of humanity, shedding cold light upon their scars. She'd much prefer to be under water, the surface shattering the metal rays like an impenetrable shield, carried only by the intention of the waves. But even that would only drag her to her fate.

What were they supposed to do? What was the point of finding a new home when Mizu no Shizoku was falling apart from the inside? She had not wished to destroy their last hope with these thoughts, but the tension of them could be felt amidst them. Sometimes she wondered whether the only way to die with dignity would be to succumb to the rage that lurked within her, within all of them, and play out the vengeance they were all dragged to, towards him, the wolfman. Joining modern Japanese society? Impossible. The two natures were fighting for control inside them, and soon, one would inevitably triumph. Neither would be welcome, nor would any want to be.

Ever since Saburo disappeared, the impulses had only become more powerful, her scars crawling up her back onto her face, creating a very noticeable, rough black marking around her eye. She squeezed them shut and tried to picture him beside her, the warmth of his body and the soothing tone in his voice. She could almost sense him, his energy flowing between the trees and mountains. She let out a shaky breath. A cold wave of realisation poured over her: she had lost everything. There was nothing more for her here.

She certainly wouldn't be the first to leave. Like cats, they could sense their fate overtaking them, losing what was left of their humanity and succumbing to bestial impulses. Leaving was the only way they could survive, as well as their clanmates, who would immediately become the fodder to a mononoke's appetite. She loved her clan more than anything; it had been her home ever since she ran away from those cruel people trying to sell an exotic little courtesan. The girl quietly gathered up what little she had: a tattered book, some left-over rice, her dagger, and her cloak. This would be more than enough to last her, whatever happened. It wouldn't be long now. The only distant hope she had was of finding Saburo again. Be him bestial, human, or corpse. It would be enough. She turned away from the ancient tree her clan was resting around. 'I'm sorry! I'm only doing this to protect you' she thought despairingly. Behind her, a head rose from the pile of bodies. The eyes watched her leave, before slumping to the ground again.

…

And another opened. Saburo stared at the distorted figures, feeling a sharp pang in his injured eye, forcing it to shut again. But not before everyone could see the void blackness within, the pin-size blanched pupil.

He was right…

A sudden thrashing of water broke the stunned silence, and San rushed up the bank towards Rauru, a malicious snarl plastered on her face, dagger in hand. Rauru let himself be thrust to the side, though not before twisting her equipped hand sharply out of his face, and landed on his back, a subtle expression on his face. San growled in pain, but turned away from her target, crouching beside the collapsed body of Saburo. Ignoring the perplexed gazes of her former enemies, she focused on Saburo, who once again opened his eyes, staring at her shamefully with his mark of disease. San gasped, impulsively jumped away from him, like one would of a spider.

'Wh-what…?'

Lady Eboshi, stunned as the rest of them, nevertheless scowled in indignation and headed calmly towards Saburo; a few villagers took a few steps after her before stopping in acknowledgment of her power and their own futility. San turned away towards the water, glaring at the one-armed lady, but halting out of curiosity for what she would do. Saburo slowly sat up, staring at the few clumps of grass dispersed over the mud and rocks. Ashitaka was just beginning to stir, an atmosphere of fright about him.

'What are you, young one? Answer me while you still can'.

Saburo lifted his head and stared out at the mass of water before him.

'I…don't know how to explain it. If I told you, you wouldn't believe me' he said in exasperation, head in hands.

'Try us', replied Ashitaka, now clambering to his feet, a new look of aggression in his eyes.

'Yeah. You tell them, Saburo. Tell them about everything you've been hiding' Rauru cut in, spitting his last words with contempt. He stayed near the outskirts of the group, cutting himself from them.

Saburo winced, but got up and turned to face Lady Eboshi and the rest of the town, who were muttering amongst themselves, a general air of suspicion encapsulating them. Saburo looked 5 years younger, like a frightened child confessing his actions to a grown-up.

'Everything I told you is true. I just…skimmed over a few details. I suppose I wanted to protect myself more than anything. But the full truth is, I am…cursed. And I don't mean that metaphorically. Me and my entire Clan were cursed by…him. He's only known as Rupan to us. It all happened before I was born, so I'm not sure on some of the details, but I know that he was a demon in disguise. When the city people started encroaching on our land, we needed a way to protect ourselves, to instil terror to those who tried to take our home. So Rupan asked Yahata* for help. Or so he said. In reality, he used his own powers as Tatarigami and cursed us to become like him, horrible beasts with no humanity. Everyday we succumb further, hate and rage only make it grow faster. Many of my clanmates have already been enveloped by it. That's why I look like…this. Every time it takes over us, some part of it is left behind on our human selves. When it becomes stronger than our will, we…won't turn back. I've seen it happen. It is a fate worse than death'.

Saburo fell silent, his voice deteriorating as he continued on. Looks of shock, disgust, and anger on his behalf spread in the crowd. Ashitaka looked noticeably haunted as he gazed at his left arm. Rauru, on the other hand, glowered at Saburo, holding his own supposed scar in a death grip.

'Saburo, we-' Eboshi began, before the rest of her words were lost under the growl of frustration emanating from Rauru, forming into his new diatribe.

'Trying to save yourself, as usual! You can't even explain the threat you pose to them. Well, if you can't, I won't hold my tongue any more'. Rauru staggered to his feet, his eyes becoming enraptured in a new wildness, not just from the stupor of drink but of something new, something profoundly bestial as well. San slowly crept back towards the shore, Ashitaka waiting from behind the diseased boy.

'YOU did this to me. I was never a part of your stupid Clan. I just made the reckless mistake of clinging onto the first people that made me feel wanted. But, of course, that was all a lie, too! I was nothing but a means to an end for your own purposes. See, there you go! That's what you get for wanting things. And now, he's trying to cuckold you out of your limited sympathy just like he did for me. And what did I get? This!', he spat, hoisting up his bespeckled growth like a piece of meat, 'Yet another reason I am abhorred. Don't you see? You're already in his web, and my fate will become yours TOO!'

Rauru practically screamed his last words in hysterics at Saburo, his breathing becoming erratic and unsteady as he snarled as a wolf would, before latching onto his prey, sharp hands squeezing his throat. The screams outside were muffled as Rauru clutched his neck, focusing only on the unwaning strength in his distorted hands and the pained gasps of life still flowing from Saburo's mouth. He knew the brutish contortions his body was making, but wholly lacked care for it. He welcomed the boiling rage seeping into his being now. But it now seemed instantaneous when, infuriatingly, his firm grasp was pulled apart by human fingers, and was launched backwards, limbs held in place by what felt like the strength of a demon. Before the white shapes in his gaze could dissipate, a violent thud rammed into his stomach, and soon he fell into that familiar warm blackness curling itself around him like a kind mother.