[UPDATE IN PROGRESS] Onmyou-Pocketville: Fallen Dusk

Chapter 33: Beauty and Malice

Emiko rode around the fountain terrace on the back of Akiko, her paws firmly on the edges of the box saddle. They had already gone across the grounds of Omori Palace ever since the trio, the priestesses, and some guards left for Takemori Shrine. It was one of the Folklorist's favourite pastimes to go out riding, though she hadn't been riding in moons. At least Akiko was short enough for Emiko to mount without a lift.

"Are we just moving around the grounds of the palace?" Akiko staggered, her head hanging low. "I'm already exhausted from having to carry you around the fountain garden!"

"Oh, yes, just around this place. Especially this garden; it's very beautiful with all the cherry blossoms still in bloom, and I do love riding, you know." Emiko grew a smile on her delicate vulpine face.

Akiko snorted. "Do Otherworlders ride on steeds as a sport or hobby and not just for transport?"

"I have to admit that in my world we get all the credit in a race when it's the ungulates we mount on who did all the work. Pretty unfair, don't ya think?" Emiko replied. "But for now, that's enough riding."

Emiko hopped off Akiko's back, her heels gracefully touching the cobbled path. She took out the wooden handle of her walking stick from the bag around her shoulder, which magically transformed back to its normal shape. Eight other tails manifested, spreading out like the feathers of a peacock's expressive tail.

Akiko's eyes, as auburn as autumn leaves, widened in amazement. "How can you do that?"

"Magic," Emiko winked, as she shortened the handle of her bag with the touch of a paw, and pulled out a woven bag filled with little pieces of candy, which appeared to be colourful with pastel tints and a spiky texture once she took a few out. "Want some konpeito? All steeds love treats!"

"Sure," Akiko nibbled on the colourful konpeito in Emiko's paw, which tasted like a sweet mix of sugar and honey once on her tongue. "Oh, this is tasty!"

As Emiko looked around the garden, something hidden between the low branches of two cherry blossom trees had caught her silvery blue eyes, which appeared to be a stone...structure? As she approached the structure as fast as she could, one of her heels slipped in an odd place and caused her to wobble and nearly trip over herself, a gasp escaping her snout. She had that stick for a reason.

"Agh, bother those cobbles!" she spat as she placed her stick firmly on the pavement.

"Emiko, are you alright?" bleated Akiko.

"Yes..."

Now it was clear to her; the structure turned out to be a small outdoor shrine. It wasn't a full altar like Tachibana or even Grand Omori Shrine up the eastern hill next to the East Tower of the palace, but instead just a small shrine shaped like a tiny house. For a shrine that miniscule, it would likely be dedicated to a lesser Kami. Mon coins, each of different value, were laid around the base of the pillar holding up the house-like structure as offerings for whoever the Kami may be enshrined. Down the pillar itself some kanji characters were engraved.

Great Inari, it's kanji. One, sakura, means "cherry blossom" and another is "Kami", I believe. But luckily I have this. Emiko took one glove off, revealing a soft crimson paw with delicately filed claws and the shimmering Eclipsed Heart on her wrist. On the heartstone a glowing purple word that was the romanised form of the kanji emerged.

Sakurajin. Guardian of Ofunsui-no-Niwa.

Then Emiko uttered, "Sakurajin-sama," as she bowed two times, lifted her paws upwards and gave two claps, and bowed again once. It was the customary way to greet a Kami and pray to it, regardless of how major it is. The trees which surrounded her in an embrace waved their blossomed branches like arms.