The Bloody Moon

Chapter 6 - The Night I Died

WARNING - If you' re under the age 15 it' s best for you to skip this chapter

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For weeks I fought with my thoughts, why did I say this to Kai, why did I even say it? But this wasn't the time for my emotions, I obviously had a lot more on my mind. Weeks passed, my friends were getting stronger every day, their training was coming to an end and I still didn't know what was wrong with me, but the hideous drink the healer gave me helped a little, the pain was manageable. I was under the illusion that maybe it would stop, but I was wrong. We were in training when my head spun. I shook it off for a moment and then the same thing happened, I fell to the ground hissing in pain. My friends circled me worriedly, asking if I was okay but I couldn't focus on what they were saying to me. Uncontrollably, as if some glitch just like in a computer, I began to transform into a kitsune. A screech erupted in my head, I started screaming. It wasn't an ordinary scream, but one that caused the building to shake.

- What the fuck is this! - Gwen shouted to the others.

- I don't know, we need to go get help. - Liam said, and like the others plugging his ears he left the building. I couldn't calm down, I didn't know what was going on around me and I wasn't in control of myself. I know someone ran into the room and sprayed some powder after that I fell asleep. I woke up in a large strange, almost empty, but highly decorated room. Every little sound there echoed all the way to the top of probably a hundred foot walls. I looked around the bedroom until I came across Splinter.

- What happened? - The man looked at me with his arms folded behind him and a very serious look on his face. - What is happening to me?

- Come with me. - Confused, I started to follow the old man. Moving through the corridors of the mysterious building I realized that it was some kind of palace, maybe a temple, to be honest it looked like a jade palace to me. - According to the legends of ancient Japan, foxes and humans once lived very closely together.

- I know this story. - After I said that, the old man continued ignoring me.

- The legends do not lie, foxes and humans lived and still live very close to each other in the form of kitsune. Kitsune are closely related to Inari, the shintō deity, whom they serve as messengers. This role has enhanced the supernatural significance of the fox. The more tails a kitsune has, the wiser and more powerful it is, up to the most powerful nine-tailed fox spirits, but to create more kitsune must sacrifice their power by giving up one of their tails each.

- I already told you I know this story, what does this have to do with anything?

- It was also said that on the last night of the year, the foxes meet cackling at the Ōji Inari temple in Edo, under an enoki elm tree dressed in New Year's decorations, where they determine ranks and assign tasks for the coming year. - When he finished his sentence we stood in a strange chamber with a strange water spring in the middle. - The locals believe that this temple is Fushimi Inari-taisha. However, we are in it at this moment, the Oji Inari temple where the first kitsune was created. Foxes were regarded as executors of the will of the deities, and were sometimes even considered deities of food, crops, mountains and luck. In the zenko group we distinguish kinko (golden foxes), ginko (silver foxes), byakko (white foxes), kokko (black foxes), tenko (sky foxes). In addition to these, there were also kūko (air foxes), which foxes who lived for more than three thousand years became; they were considered fox deities. When the first supreme council of Inari was created, just on the day of the new year, here a conflict arose when two of the foxes wanted all the power and authority for themselves. When they joined forces it ended with many casualties, even among mortals. They were called the wild foxes of Yako. They possessed people, brought disease and madness to them, and often caused mental retardation. After many battles, the most powerful managed to put them back in their tails. One is still trapped. This is the second of the wild foxes referred to as Nogitsune, who "fed" on pain, conflict and chaos. Not much is known about the first, more powerful one.