„I was lookin' for someone. For you," Dog said with a grave look to Kasi's stunned face.

„For me?"

They both fell in silence and stared at each other. The tranquillity lasted but few seconds, as there was a knock on the door which opened ajar. The movement was followed by a woman's voice: „Kasi, will you come down for dinner?"

Before the owner of the voice could appear in the crack, Kasi sprang to the door and pushed her outside. „I will come in a while, mum. I just wanted to change the bandages."

„Ok, we'll wait for you."

Kasi closed the door and turned to face an empty room. Her mouth formed an - O - as she stared at the moving curtain, the only sign left of the hanyou´s presence in her room.

He disappeared without answering her.

curiousity unsatisfied

He didn't return the next day, or the day after that. Next evening come, Kasi found herself more than once standing by the window and staring out in the darkened streets. The dimmed lights of the suburb allowed her to glimpse two or three of the brightest stars, as well as the narrow sickle of the waning moon. On the second night it disappeared completely, rendering the skies dark hue of purple and violet from the city lights.

"He was looking for me. Why was he looking for me?" she murmured to herself, as she threw another restless glance out of the window. She didn't like it at all him saying something like that and then leaving without any explanation.

Moreover, since that night there was always this uneasy feeling in her head, whenever she passed her wardrobe. Something like a deep buzz, but more of a feeling as an actual sound seemed to ooze from it. "Only two more days," she told herself, "and I will be rid of it." She wandered back to the window and drew the curtain aside, once again.

"I will squeeze his ears and pull his hair when I see him again," she said aloud. It gave her little satisfaction.

Remiscence

Dog merged back into the shadows. His ears and nose twitched at the abundance of sounds and smells of the university campus. He really hated cities. Too bad he was currently forced to dwell in one. Since two hours or so he sat perched on a large chestnut tree with his gaze directed into a large room full of young people. The corners of his mouth were curved upwards in a nostalgic smile: a reminder of another time, which he used to spend in a similar manner. Only he saw no sailor uniforms here and the heads of the students were fashioned in all colours imaginable, including one bold pink, instead of the notorious black. Inside not all were listening to the lecturing professor in the front. Some slept, some others fidgeted with their cell phones and a fairly large group in the rear row chose the lecture as an ideal time and place for a lunch and a friendly conversation. This really couldn't compare with the rigid regime of a Japanese high school, but it still brought back memories.

The actual object of his observation sat in one of the back rows, he was staring in front of her and obviously not listening to the lecture. Dog watched the girl that had straight, dark hair falling below her shoulders. The short cut pony ended halfway her brow and gave her big brown eyes a young and innocent look. Straight nose, determined lips and a slightly pointed chin complemented her face and slightly pink cheeks.

As he watched her, Kasi gave out an inaudible sight and propped her chin in her hands. Then she frowned a little and her lips moved uttering something, maybe a curse. Dog's smile widened as yet another memory came to his mind

When the lecture ended and the people started to leave the room, Dog took a quick glance around to assure himself that he was alone, and with two or three good measured leaps he left the tree and disappeared into a narrow dark space between the block and the adjoining building. There was no door on this side of the building, as it was its rear. Kasi would have to leave on the other side. He ran the length of it; the other end was blocked by a sort of metal cage enclosing trash bins. Dog jumped on the top of it. There were several empty cardboard boxes which suited him just as well: they could provide further concealment, should the shadow prove insufficient. His nose and later his ears confirmed him that Kasi was nearing. He heard her voice in the melee of chatting. In the moment when she passed the gap he called her name with a hushed voice and immediately retreated behind a box. Whether she heard him of felt his youki he did not know, but he was positive she recognised his presence. He jumped down and run back to the other side of the building and crouched near the corner. After a few minutes he heard her approaching. He backed a little and called out: "I'm here."

a little adventure

"Dog?" Kasi stopped right in front of the opening.

"Here. Come further."

She carefully picked her way among various objects covering the ground including broken glass, stones and scraps of paper, and wrinkled her nose as a rather unpleasant smell hit her.

"What are you doing here? Where were you for the last two days?"

"No time for this," he said. "Ya come with me."

"Right now? Where to?"

"No time for explanation. Tell ya when there." He took her hand and pulled her towards him.

"But…."

"You wanna find the blade or no?" he interrupted her.

"How do you want to go somewhere? People will see you."

"People see only what they want. Come," with that he motioned on his back.

„Oh no, no no," Kasi refused to climb on his back again. „I won't do that in daylight. People know me here. Just tell where do I have to go and we'll meet there."

He squinted at her. „Whatever. You know the docks? Where that big building is, a storehouse or something like that? Near the car-wreck yard? They god a big grey hound there."

„I think I know the wreck yard."

„The storehouse got the number 47 on its door. Just go behind it, I find you there."

the river

When Kasi sat in the bus she wondered why she listened to Dog. Maybe because she was curious about him and about what he told her last night and didn't finish. She felt he would carry on, if she showed her will to cooperate with him. It took her some time to find the right storehouse, but finally she spotted the right number. When she got behind it she found Dog already sitting on a container. „You took yer time," he said.

He led her towards the river. The area was empty and shabby. This part of the docks was clearly abandoned and would come alive probably only after dark-fall. The garbage and discarded syringes on the ground told her what kind of people would come here in the night. Dog led her behind a stack of old rusty containers and oily barrels. He drew her attention to a slit between two barrels, where the river could be seen. „We'll wait here," he said and sat on the ground.

„Wait for what?" Kasi asked as she sat down as well. „And anyway, you told me yesterday you were looking for me. I think you owe me some explanation."

„We're waiting for a ship to go by. You will tell me if there are certain persons on the board or not." His answer didn't really make sense, but she suspected he would tell her shortly. He didn't disappoint her.

„I was looking for you," Dog said. „Ya now, not everyone can feel youki or jaki. It's a special ability. It's ...er...divine powers. Priest powers."

Kasi gazed at him because he still didn't make sense. Then she burst out laughing. „Wait, you are telling me, that I have some divine powers of some priest or what?"

„Yer loud," he rebuked her. Kasi tried to suppress her laughter. „Sorry."

„Yeah. You have spiritual powers of a miko. That' s a shinto priestess. Do you know something about shinto?"

Kasi nodded. „Yes, I know something, I think. Wasn't it the old animistic religion of Japan? But how can I have the powers of a miko-whatever?"

„It's not was, it still is. Also, do you know about reincarnation?"

Kasi started to suspect where he was heading to.

„So, to make it short," he continued, „you have spiritual powers of a miko, because you are a reincarnation of a miko."

Kasi stood up. „Dog, you cannot expect me to believe this bullshit. I am going home." She turned and was about to leave, when his voice stopped her.

„You didn't believe in demons and youkai either."

spiritual powers

She turned and slowly sat down. „Ok, let's say I believe you. How did you find me? And why here? Why wasn't this priestess reincarnated in Japan?"

„You ask a lot." he said. „I don't know why here. You are not the first. There were many before you. And I found yer 'cause...'cause...well it's complicated to explain now. You'll understand later. But believe me, I need you." His gaze was unsettling, intense and serious. Kasi nodded.

„Ok, I believe you. I don't have a choice, do I? I mean, you are here and all, a youkai, a half human - half dog and I really can feel your youki. And of that object as well. Tell me what do you need from me."

Dog pointed to the slit again." Just watch the river. If a boat comes, ya concentrate and tell me if there are some persons with jaki. It'll feel similar as of that ring."

„But you can feel aura as well. Why do you need me for that?" Kasi wondered.

„Because yer powers are stronger that my. I have a suspect but don't know if that person's here or not. I am looking for someone and need to know if he's here. It's important. And he has the blade yer looking for."

„Oh. Okay," Kasi said. „I will try my best."

They sat in silence for a while. Whenever they heard the engine of a freight boat, Kasi tried to concentrate, but she felt nothing. After an hour or so she started to be bored.

„So, how old are you?" she asked Dog.

„Don't know exactly," he said. „Hmm...around...hmm...almost 800...I guess?"

Kasi gazed at him, jaw-dropped. „But...but you don't look more that 20something. Are you immortal?"

„Don't think so. I just age slowly." He pondered for a while. „Guess not many hanyou got to live as long as me. Before, most got killed as babies."

"How cruel," Kasi gasped. "So were those times," he answered.

"None was pleased to have a hanyou, neither humans, neither youkai. So most of them were killed or cast away."

"And what about you? I mean, I don't want to pry, if you don't want to tell me..."

Dog smiled at her. "It's alright. It's long past. I was brought up by my mum. She was a noblewoman and she was beautiful. When she died I was still a kid and then they chased me away. I used to hate humans. But then..." his voice trailed off and a tinge of melancholy crept into his face. She wanted to know more, but in that moment something happened.

She felt it. An uneasy feeling, a tingling deep inside her, but unlike that she felt from Inuyasha. This had a bitter and dirty touch to it and it felt repulsive. "Dog," she croaked. "I feel something."

A cargo ship slid through the narrow opening in front of them. "I think...I think it's a jaki. A jaki of a person." Kasi didn't know why she was so sure, but she knew it was a person who emanated such an evil aura. "There are more of them, but one is far stronger than the others." She felt bile in her throat, and then it passed. The ship sailed by and was now moving away down the river.

Later that evening when she lay in her bed she thought about what happened. It didn't really make sense, but then again, somehow it did. She could indeed feel jaki and youki, that of a person and of an object as well. And Dog was a youkai. She wondered what would she meet tomorrow- an elf maybe? Or a unicorn?

As they left the riverside, Dog warned her not to go and try to retrieve the blade on her own.

"That one is a youkai, and an evil one. He wouldn't hesitate to break your neck and rip out the guts of yer belly, if he caught ya." But he promised to help her and to tell her more about youkai.

And about the mysterious miko.