CHATPER TWENTY-THREE

Cursed Sei-an City

I ran down the stretch of beach, paws sinking into the sand and warm grains getting in between my toes with every step. My tail unfurled out behind me like a white flag and pines waved gently in the breeze, I was drawing closer to the great stone dock. I leapt up the steps but I saw something down near the end. It was a large shape and several small ones, so I changed course and started down the great stone dock, running faster; paws thumping hard against the cobbled stone. As I drew nearer, I saw the largest form was a Wani, a crocodilian monster that fought like a samurai, keeping a mother cat and her kittens backed against the edge of the dock. The demon raised its sword, the mother cat huddled around her kittens and hissed bravely. But before the Wani could swing down on the innocent cats I leaped onto its back, making it give a throaty shout. I swiftly leapt off, I only needed to distract it. But the Wani was fast, and spun around in an instant- whirling its sword in a challenge. It was a quick duel, I dodged its sword attacks and landed quick blows of my own. I leaped over its head, and struck it from behind. The Wani fell to the ground behind me and I heard it burst into an array of flowers, but I didn't see, I was focused on the cats. The tortoiseshell mother cat was looking down into the water and meowing. I looked over the edge too, and saw a tiny black kitten struggling to keep its head above the waves. It must have slipped over the edge when the Wani attacked. Knowing there was only one thing to do to save the kitten in time, I backed up. Taking a deep breath, I lunged forward and leaped off the dock. Hovering in open space for a long moment, before plunging down. I hit the water and an array of water splashed up around me, glinting in the sunlight. The ocean was beautiful, and crystal-clear. Blue water was splashed with sunlight, and gleamed as light danced through the water. I looked around, and for a moment was afraid I'd dragged the kitten under, but I saw it near the surface and quickly swam up to it. I grabbed its scruff in my mouth and lifted it above water, craning my neck. I swam back up to the dock, bobbing in the water and looked up the stone wall. I could hear the mother cat's yowling from above, and I studied the wall, it was too slippery to straight-up climb. But- I saw something on the wall, it looked like a cat's paw. I quickly lifted my tail out of the water, and drew a neat circle on the wall, with four dots above it. The catspaw-mark appeared on the wall, I took a chance and leaped up out of the water, and my feet stuck firmly to it. I wall-jumped the final feet back up onto the dock. I put the kitten down and shook, luckily the ocean hadn't been cold, just pleasantly cool. The mother cat got to work immediately licking the kitten dry, and I felt warm orbs of praise soak into me, making me feel stronger.

The scene dimmed and starlight glowed above us, and Kabegami appeared. She thanked me for my kindness in saving one of her treasured animals, and bestowed upon me a new power, the power to summon catwalk wherever I wished, just by drawing the symbol of a cat's paw. Then she receded back into the stars.

Hiraku, who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the whole ordeal said: "Akime, look." I turned around, and looked back down the dock, and I saw the great wooden gates that lead to Sei-an looming above the beach. The gate was closed, but I quickly drew a circle and four dots, and leaped up on the wooden structure. The wood shook beneath my paws but held firm, and my paws stuck fast to it. I pounced upward, and flipped over the top. When I looked down, we both beheld a great scene. I ran to the right to a grassy overlook, and our reward was a wonderful view of the greatest city in all Nippon. Sei-an City.

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The city was tinted gray with sorrow. The somber setting was like an oppressive cloud. Not sick, as it had been when my mother had first arrived in her time, just broken. I walked slowly through the city, the streets were near abandoned, dark clouds swirling up ahead, threatening to spill torrents of rain down upon our heads, but for now simply trickling. I spotted blots of color amid the gray surroundings up ahead, three men harassing an old woman, trying to take her belongings from her. "Hey! Leave her alone!" I barked, running towards them. At the sight of a large, wild wolf charging at them, they immediately dropped the purse and fled in the opposite direction.

I walked up to the old woman, standing with her back to us facing a bridge. she was tall, and had on a dark green kimono with a repeating hexagonal pattern, and a pink shawl. Her gray hair was in a large bun, and a flower was woven into it. She was leaning slightly on a cane with a crystal on top of it. But her most prominent feature was her hat, which was green, resembling the shell of a turtle, and covered with flowers. "GET AWAY!" she suddenly shouted, raising her arms and brandishing her stick, making me jump. "CAN'T YOU LEAVE AN OLD WO-oh!" she said, looking down and lowering her arms at the sight of me. "Sorry wolf, I thought you were one of those pesky kingsmen, the young followers of the king that torture us loyal to the emperor." She said, turning back around to look at the bridge. 'Kingsmen?' I wondered. "They harass me, try to make me fear them. I know they're looking for a way to destroy me; emotionally at least. Me, the oldest, wisest inhabitant here, and leader of those supporting the old emperor." She sighed and I leaned against her, energy of a tired and a tortured soul emanating from her. "Why is a bridge so important, I suppose you wonder." She said, squinting at me, but also looking Hiraku. "I helped build this bridge, yes me. Long, long ago there was a town meeting discussing the problems of the canals, which had been blocked up for a short time. I proposed a bridge system, but they all laughed, such lazy people they were back then. And who would take the advice of a single woman? So I built this bridge myself, testing each board as I placed it, working all hours of the day until it was the finest piece of woodwork around here, no one bothered to help, or praise me. Except the carpenter, Naguri. At least to my face, they were too proud to admit they were wrong. But their appreciation was enough for me, and everyone came to respect me as an equal to the men. This bridge became a symbol of who I was; strong and beautiful. But now those kingsmen are after me, that's why I sit vigil here." She glanced back at us again. "but who am I to bore a wolf and a poncle with my stories? I'll bear my sufferings in silence. but I will give you my name in case we bump into each other again, wolf, you may call me Miss Eiko." She gave us a little curtsy, and I returned the favor. Then she looked back at the bridge and didn't say another word. I continued onward to the great red red bridge that merged the commoner's and aristocratic quarters and looked up at the sky. The dark clouds were originating from the very top of Himiko's palace. Swirling in a gray storm. Something had to be happening here, oppressing the poor people. I saw something move in the sky, pale and distinct, moving of its own accord. This was no ordinary storm. I ran the rest of the distance, paws beating down hard on the concrete on the far side of the red bridge before having to screech to a sudden halt, in order to avoid the people surrounding and entering the shrine that stood before the aristocratic quarters. "Please, help us." I heard repeated murmurs from bowed heads. Personal prayers, prayers for joy, prayers for peace. "With your divine guidance, bring our city into the light once more." One man knelt, cradling a dying potted flower. I looped my tail and blossomed the fragile bloom, making it spring back to life. The man looked up and saw me, his eyes widened. He approached me, falling to his knees. "Please. Help us." He pleaded. "Bring back our delight, bring back our order, and world to sanity." A few others turned their heads as well, but only a few other distressed souls seemed capable of seeing my divinity. "First thing is first, I will bring back the light." I said, which Hiraku repeated. "Thank you-" I licked his face clean of tears before he could say more. He chuckled, then parted the way so I could get through. "Salvation has come!" He cheered to the remaining crowd, holding his flower high, as I trotted through the mountains of scrolls to the aristocratic quarters. A few stern-looking guards stood outside the palaces, half dressed in deep purple and red and the rest in cheerful yellow, which looked incredibly out of place in the dreary landscape. Two of the purple-clad guards were standing outside Himiko's old palace, one appeared to be teaching the other. One had gray hair and a thin goatee, while the other was fresh-faced with dark hair that needed to be trimmed. The younger one looked anxious, and the older guard spoke gently to him. Their words became clear as I trotted closer. "I know you're disappointed about what happened in training earlier, Hiroshi. But do not fret. Everyone makes mistakes, even monkeys fall from trees sometimes." The youth smiled at him. "I know, Tetsuo… But after all you've done for me, I just don't want to let you down."

"You are the best guard in training that Sei-an has ever seen, one bad day won't ruin your life. The only thing to do is to move forward." Tetsuo put a comforting hand on his shoulder then both of them noticed my presence. "Who goes there?" They instantly readied their weapons and aimed them towards me, a small figure visible through the hazy gray air. "Oh, it's just a dog." The younger remarked as I got closer. "No, that is a wolf." The older one said, not moving his sword. "It looks friendly." Hiroshi said, lowering his weapon, and I wagged my tail. "Maybe, but we can't afford to take any risks. King Yatosama is relying on us for his safety, and we can't just allow wild animals to enter the palace."

I was keen to listen to more, maybe learn more about this king, but they stopped talking and continued staring stoically out at the quarters. I let a out sigh and drew the mark of Kasugami so I could quickly slip by them. I passed under the gate, darting around a corner to be out of sight when time returned to normal. I padded up to the edge of the building, drawing the newly obtained mark of Kabegami on the wall, and placed a paw determinedly on the building and started climbing.

(AN: FYI, I imagine the soundtrack for the first section of the chapter to be this: Okami Tokyo game Show 2005 Promotion. And let's see where this goes... To the next chapter!)