Written in Ink

one

warning(s)!!!: none to mention in this chapter!

w.count: 3.3k

a/n: proofread once- so forgive any remaining errors!

-x-x-x-

"Tch," there was a small splashing along the edge of the wide river that ran through the deepest center of the luscious, green-hilled valley. The creature with the body of a man, but tails and pointed ears of a fox hissed as he wrinkled his nose. His clawed hands were dipped into the water before he pulled them out and shook them, water droplets flying from his fingertips. His red-eyelined eyes narrowed as he lifted his lips to click in annoyance again.

"It stinks like human."

-Three (3) months prior-

The shrine the fox man lounged in currently was one of peaceful silence in its large design. He lay on the outside corridor floors, one of his legs lazily hanging off the edge of the outside hall, toes brushing the stone landing below. His arms were folded behind his head as his eyes were closed and he could feel the sunlight of the morning slowly crawl its way further up the floorboards- warming his body.

It was early in the morning as he heard nothing but the sound of nature waking for the day. It was always like this here- quiet. The shrine was vacant save for himself and the shrine sprite that was housed here and was surely hard at work- doing whatever it was they did on their day-to-day schedule.

The small wisps of morning wind shifted through the outside corridor as it rustled and blew his blonde, unruly hair.

His previously relaxed face scrunched up as he heard small, rapid steps coming closer to his resting place. Being stuck in the shrine as long as he had with only one other spirit living with him, he knew it was the sprite making its way towards him.

"Master Katsuki!" The sprite's voice called. Katsuki inwardly groaned. The sprite never bothered him this early. Soon the steps stopped just above where his head lay, rested on his arms. "Master Katsuki, a letter has arrived." The fox narrowly opened one of his eyes, ruby red gaze landing on a piece of tri-folded parchment held just above his face.

Lifting his gaze up, he saw the small body of the shrine sprite.

They were ridiculously small in stature; Katsuki's seen inari statues taller. Dressed in a very outdated kimono with zig-zag patterns and a yellow obi-sash. A mask of fox covered its entire, small face and a small hair-ribbon tied back one, thin lock of black hair at the back of their head.

"So?" Katsuki's rough voice responded. "Why do I care?"

"It is from the priests beyond the valley!" The mention of those oldtimers made the foxes lip twitch. "They write saying they will be sending a priestess to us to finish her training."

Both of Katsuki's eyes shoot open. "Give me that," he barked, snatching the letter from the sprite's hands and sitting up. Unfolding it, his eyes began to quickly scan the ink-written characters.

He hissed at the obviously fake use of formality. The addressing of 'Master Fox' and usage of sweet words were hollow before the priest started spilling his guts of sending a stranger to his shrine. Without his permission- may he add.

Did they hate this lady or something? Sending her here when they themselves never travel to his shrine. They must want her to give up on being a spiritualist of any kind; that's the only reason he could think of for the decision. There were plenty of other shrines to train with other monks and priests and deities and familiars.

Katsuki's shine was shrouded in solitude- so why here?

Growling, he clutched the letter in his palm, crumpling it before igniting his palm with small pops and sparks before the paper was shredded by micro-explosions. The soot left in his hands blew away in the, once relaxing, morning breeze.