[UPDATE IN PROGRESS] Onmyou-Pocketville: Fallen Dusk

Chapter 17: The Lost House of the Mountain Wood

Chapter Warning: Contains blood, violence, and profanity in a fictional language, which may not be suitable for young or highly sensitive readers. Read at your own risk.

Meanwhile, up north, as the thick grey clouds hovered over the sky, causing the towering Shiroyama mountains to fade out, Noroi hiked up the cobble steps that led to her house whilst in her gijinka form; along with a plain jet black yukata as well as a pair of zouri sandals, she wore a dark cloak over her robe with a hood concealing much of her head and shoulders and a satchel bag over her neck. She had just finished collecting what she needed from outside the pinelands north of Omori Palace, such as crystals and herbs to create more spells in the glass jars she owns.

Her house, despite looking like the many structures on the outer reaches of Onmyou, was an ominous place. Some vegetation covered the faded walls and from a faraway view, the house seemed to be camouflaging with the surrounding landscape. The tiles that made up the roof had lost its colour. The shoji windows were surprisingly clean compared to the dirt that covered patches of the walls. There were slabs of stone that made a fork of two pathways: one that led to the steps leading up to the fusuma doors and another that led to Noroi's garden of herbs to use for either cooking or her craft. There were lantern posts standing in front of the house, but did not have a single wisp of flame. Perhaps Noroi didn't want anyone living next to the mountains to know she resided there.

Yami flew over Noroi, gliding downwards with his big dark wings outstretched like a hawk. He landed on one of the posts.

"Noroi-sama! I got something you need to hear!"

Noroi turned back with unamused amber eyes. "What is it? Did you eavesdrop on that insolent Malorie or that midget pup of hers?"

"No, but I did hear something from someone else. I overheard the royals discussing about a prophecy! A special one indeed. It's about three stars, three warriors, arriving on the petal of a lily and stepping foot into Onmyou."

"So the snobbish cats have a prophecy in their paws from one of the Kami. How interesting. I'm guessing Malorie and Tia are a part of it?"

"Well we can't stop them because I heard what sounded like the Queen talking to one of them. They're already here...again!"

"I expected that. They'll keep on bothering the Onmyoujin even if Yomi breaks loose. Now, let's go inside before anyone out here hears us."

Noroi opened the fusuma and removed her sandals, and like a crow with big, messy, drenched feathers, she sprinted inside the house. Yami followed, swooping over as the fusuma slowly closed on their own.

The interior of Noroi's abode was just like the typical Onmyou house with tatami mats, zabuton, candlesticks, futon, and a kamidana for a certain Kami, just with furnishings and wallpaper a darker colour. Cobwebs covered the kamidana, which was meant for the forest Kami, and there were a couple shelves, one meant for books and papers and the other for Noroi's potions and ingredients. At the other side there was a stone cooking stove along with another set of a table and zabuton cushions. The whole room smelled of rosemary incense.

Noroi took the bag off her shoulders and placed it on the large table, which had occult items such as candles and spells. Unlike Eva, another active occult practitioner who also had a good amount of these kinds of items, Noroi was not as organized as she was. Of course, having a regular house with smallish rooms rather than the huge and elaborate palace chambers Eva resided in tied into this.

Yami gazed at the items all placed on the shelves with wide, dark hazel eyes.

"Wooooow, look at all those potions you've made! You're just like that one Eva cat!"