Balance
Sorry it's been so long since I last updated! Let it suffice to say that I have been busy...thanks for sticking with this story!
The surface of the lake was calm, reflecting the night sky above like a mirror. The cold water lapped at my ankles where my aching feet were submerged as I sat on a rock, gazing at the scene before me. I had happened upon some Mononoke traveling across the countryside, and I had caught them while they were still fresh from the afterlife, killing them quickly and efficiently. I was not tired, necessarily; mostly I was sore. Hence why I was resting as my sword cleaned up the Mononoke shards.
I almost didn't hear the tinkling of bells behind me in my relaxed state. As soon as I did, however, my golden eyes whipped open and I snatched my feet out of the water, grabbing my sword as I gathered myself into a crouching position. I nearly fell over in surprise when I realized that the medicine seller from before was standing in front of me. I turned to flee but was stopped by his plea to stay. I gave him a better look and gasped upon seeing what he held in his hands. I had not seen such instruments in twelve years…
"Where did you get those?" I asked abruptly, my voice barely above a whisper.
The medicine seller glanced down at the golden scales decorated in pastels and bells that he held in his hands. "I bought them," he returned in a lilting baritone. He brought his icy gaze back up to my own, allowing me to see the truth reflected there.
I stood up tall from my crouching position. "Why are you here?" I asked him. "Why did you seek out the evil spirits yesterday? What interest do I or the Mononoke hold for you?"
The medicine seller set down his bulky box-like pack to pull out a drawer in which to store the scales. "I followed the direction the scales led me in to find you. It is only right that I thank you for saving my life yesterday," he said as he packed the scales gently in the drawer.
"But why did you even seek out the Mononoke in the first place?" I asked, bringing him to the one question that he had not answered.
He looked up at me. "I seek to protect those that need protecting. I can do so by killing them with the means I have developed for myself. The Mononoke do not belong to this world, and I am here to aid those whom they target. If I can relieve the world of them, then I have accomplished my one and only wish."
"And how do you aim to do this? A mere mortal is not strong enough to conquer every single Mononoke that is present in this world. You would only be capable of killing the weakest of Mononoke. Even then, you cannot rid this world of a Mononoke just by killing it; you must also have a channel open between this world and the afterlife in which to truly take the Mononoke's presence from this world through." The medicine seller faltered slightly in his work, looking up at me with something akin to a question in his eyes. "Unless I am mistaken," I continued gently, "you do not have such a channel. By leaving the fragmented Mononoke in this world, they can eventually reform into a much stronger spirit. The only way to truly rid the world of a Mononoke is to send it to the afterlife."
The medicine seller sank back on his haunches, looking slightly defeated. I felt slightly sorry for the man; I knew what it was like to feel possessed by the need to save others from the jaws of evil. I watched as determination settled upon his shoulders, lending him an inner strength. He shouldered his box and turned to me, standing tall.
"Let me come with you," he said.
Anger, fear, and sorrow coursed through my body. "No! I cannot allow you to do such a thing!" I cried out, screwing my eyes shut against the flood of emotions that threatened to spill from every orifice of my body and consume my surroundings.
"You cannot stop me from seeking out the Mononoke. Either you can teach me to protect myself for when I meet them in battle, or you can leave me to my death," he replied. My blood turned icy at the memory of Aia saying almost the exact same words after our first battle together thirteen years ago. I looked up at him, the pain and grief showing plainly in my eyes, begging him not to leave this decision to me. I knew that I could not leave him to his own devices; if he went out again, he could hurt himself and it would be another innocent life lost. But at the same time, I could not associate myself with him for fear that a repeat of Aia's misfortune would occur with this man. The medicine seller, however, merely looked at me, expecting me to make the decision. I could practically hear the scales of his life clinking in the balance of the answers his question left me with.
When I made no answer, the medicine seller's expression closed off, leaving his face emotionless. "If that is the case," he said, and turned and walked away without finishing his sentence.
I trembled as I watched him walk away. Here was a man who was walking to his death, and knowingly doing so. His compassion for others compelled him to risk his life in the same way I did. I could not let him do this, no matter the risks I took in exposing him to the same misfortune as befell Aia. Not only that, but there was something about this elegant man that drew me to him…
"Wait," I said, closing my eyes and facing my head towards the ground. I heard him pause in his steps and a creak indicating that he was looking back at me. I brought my gaze back up to his, amber gold matching silvery blue. I walked forward and placed my hand on his shoulder. "I will keep you at my side if only for the reason that I cannot have you fighting the Mononoke on your own. Know, however, that your life, from this point forward, will be in even greater danger than it already was." The medicine seller nodded once, and I withdrew my hand from his shoulder. We stood facing each other, our silhouettes outlined in the glow of the moonlight.
"Have you a name?" I asked him.
He blinked once at me. "Kutsuriuri."