After dinner I wanted to take a bath. It is really the only thing for me to do. I headed to the bathing room went outside to the hot springs. I washed my hair and body before entering the hot spring. I soaked in the water looking up at the starry sky. My whole life is a lie. The emperor and the guardians all okay with that. Maybe I should ask why they need me again. I forgot when I asked the first time. The sky hadn't changed. The stars were still shining bright with no clouds in the sky. There was no moon so it wasn't overly bright. "Minamoto," I called to him for I knew he was hiding somewhere nearby, "Come here."

He opened the sliding door and walked in. His head was bowed out of respect and so that he couldn't see anything. He was somewhat red in the face. "You can sit behind something if it will make you feel better." He sat behind a rock with his back up against it. I was on the other side of the rock and I asked him, "Why do you protect me?"

"You are the Priestess of the Dragon God and I am a guardian. It is my duty." He answered swiftly.

"But I am not the Priestess of the Dragon God. It was decided that I would be a replacement. You were there at the meeting when it was decided. Unless there is something I am missing."

"I assure you, you know as much as myself. And I protect you because I swore to protect the priestess and now that you have that title I must."

"That title, eh?" I looked off into the sky again. I was hesitating asking to say what was next. I wanted to tell him the story again although he had heard it so many times before. Why couldn't I just say it? Why I am always so conscious about these things? I could sigh to myself and hope that next time I would have the guts to say it. "You may leave now."

"…I like it here."

I smiled to myself. I told him that he could stay and that is was a lovely night. He agreed with me and told me the stories of the constellations for the hundredth time. Usually he would show me where the constellations were but I was taking a bath so he continued to tell me the stories. When I got up he dismissed himself and I walked out of the hot spring. I dried myself off and put my night clothes on. Opening the final door Minamoto was nowhere to be seen. He must have gone back to the room.

It felt like the flames engulfed me as I was surrounded by fire. I had markings all over my body and they were burning like the fire around me. A body lay on the ground that bled white blood. As I run towards the body the perspective changes. I see a man giving a woman a xeranthemum. Before she accepts I wake up.

It's that dream again. I thought to myself. I have had this dream for the past week. I wake up in the morning in a cold sweat. This has to be a sign, but a sign of what? That I did not know. Why are these always so complicated to understand? What I do know from this dream is that the emperor is lying to me. How I knew that for certain, I couldn't say either. But there was a something inside of me that knew for sure.

I got dressed and walked out of room and headed for the dining hall. Today Shimon and Inori had come back from the countryside. With the return it would only make things louder. Now that I think of it I have not seen Abe around in a while. This was like him though, he would disappear time from time and not come back for days.

"Ah, Shimon. Inori. How was your trip?"

"Boring," replied Shimon. "But that is what I get for trying to help Inori out."

"Don't mock me! You wanted to come, don't even try to blame it on me." Inori snapped at Shimon. Shimon pretended like he didn't hear him and continued to speak to me. That always did make Inori mad. I laughed because of the series of events.

~Cut scene to the Mountains~

"The priestess can have her laughs for now. But once I spread the word that she has created a gem that will give the holder the power of the Oni King, her peaceful days will be over."

"What is someone gets to her before us?"

"Don't worry. Those mediocre demons can't touch the Priestess of the Dragon God."

"You are always right after all. No wonder everyone wants to work for you."

It was a man standing in the entrance of a cave looking down on the palace and the surrounding village. By his side was a fox demon with long blonde hair. The man had long silver hair and worn a masquerade mask that matched the color of his hair.