Mask of Remembrance || Inotan

Chapter One: I'm Home!

Inosuke's Point of View

"I'm about to pummel you to shreds!" I cackled. The crow above me seemed bewildered, cawing in protest by flapping its wings atop the tree branch ahead.

I headed toward the branch, flinging my entire body into the air. The bird darted back into the safety of the sky before I could grasp its feathers. However, landing on the branch, I launched myself into the air after it.

"That won't stop me; I can fly too, you feathered bastard! Hrragh!!" The crow shot away from my hands just in time, allowing gravity to throw me toward the forest floor. I cackled again, landing and sliding on the colored leaves. I stared as the crow flew, irritated. I've tried to eat that thing many times, but it still hangs around. Damn. I charged forward more profound into the mountains, navigating the terrain with ease.

"Coming through! Coming through!" Every step grew quicker. I grinned underneath my mask, stopping at the very top. A group of boars squealed at my sight, piglets frolicking to my sides. I cackled again.

"I'm home, underlings! Wait until I...." I went to reach for something behind my back, though nothing was there. I recalled doing this many times over the few years I wound up back here half-dead. A sharp pain pierced my head. "Gah!" I swayed, smacking my hands to the sides of my mask, breathing heavily. The piglets snuffled at my feet, crying out in worry as the boar's head dropped in between their snouts.

My head pounded, falling to my knees and elbows while holding my head. "Inosuke. Inosuke. Stay still."

"Like hell, I will! I don't need any of these bandages! Fight me!"

I peeked up, breath catching in my throat at the sight of a disfigured person tending to my wounds. It wasn't even a person, a gray and foggy blur instead. I pulled away from the figure, growling and spitting under the mask. Like it was going to back away from such a feral response.

"I don't want you to be covered in scars, Inosuke."

"Hah?! Those are my cool battle scars, [redacted]" My voice didn't feel like my own, going utterly silent for a moment while speaking. My brain refused to let me hear the name of the figure; yet, the memory played on.

"Please. You're bleeding a lot, too; I was so worried when we slew that [redacted]. The [redacted] blood art cut you up pretty bad." The gray figure hurriedly began applying the bandage to my upper body. There was that silence between sentences again. Its disfigured anatomy shot up, taking hold of my mask, pushing it up, so it hung on top of my head.

"Look, you have a cut on your cheek too." It protested. Angered, I began to fight with what this strange beast was; how dare they touch my mask. Were they looking for a fight?

"Dammit, don't you get it! I'm not as weak as you!!!" I yelled, my vision blurred a bit. I was now on my back, the gray figure straddling my sides as they applied some salve to the wound on my cheek.

I felt strangely confused; my head felt light, Fuwa Fuwa...

Red calm eyes were fixated in the blotchy void. The same red crept onto my cheeks, beginning to grumble without a second thought happily.

I stared at the caring eyes, seeing my reflection in them. My hair was furled out onto the ground, bangs covering my forehead, but it was a mess, and so was I. I needed to get out of this as soon as possible.

"Just a little longer. Thank you for staying so still!" The eyes met mine, and I jerked my head, causing the salve to wipe across my cheek.

"Ahhh, Inosuke...You were doing so well." The figure began to reach for my face again. I instinctively bit down on what looked to be a hand; it tasted sweet for some reason. The red eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and its voice went shrill.