Malice Hearts Yin Book 1 Part 1

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

The mountain forest was still, the silence was oppressive. There was no noise, not even the chirp of a lone cricket. All the animals were either in hiding, dead or had become deformed monstrosities that barely resembled the creatures they had once been.

The atmosphere of the place was heavy, a nauseous taste clung to the air. It was hard to breathe and there was a constant pressure on my chest that made me feel ill. This was a sensation that I had experienced countless times, but it never got easier. No one, not even the stoutest of hearts, could become accustomed to this corrupted air that tainted everything it came into contact with.

This taint, given the name "Malice," was the so-called "life-force" of those that came from the underworld. It permeated the air around these creatures as a thick miasma. Nothing was safe from the adverse effects of Malice. Not plants, nor animals or humans, even spirits and gods weren't immune to its contamination.

Anything that became saturated with malice would become inflicted with Darkening and would gradually transmogrify into something from the underworld.

It was my job as an Onmyoji to prevent the spread of Malice, save those who had become tainted, and send the ayakashi back to where they belonged.

Being an Onmyoji was a dangerous job that put the body, mind and soul at risk. It was not something that anyone could do, even if they had the powers required. It was not uncommon for Onmyoji to meet their end by succumbing to the effects of Malice, transmogrifying into twisted, unrecognizable creatures. Their fate was to be hunted down by those whom were once their compatriots.

But I, Yuki Yamamoto, had no fear of submitting to such a fate. I was born special. Smart, handsome, strong and blessed with rare abilities. Most of my fellow Onmyoji would claim otherwise---but what did they know? They were jealous of me, not that I could blame them for it. They had all tried to make me quit, spurning my accomplishments and exaggerating my faults, but I would run from neither human nor ayakashi. The role of head of the Celestial Dragon's and future legend of the Onmyodo was my destiny, of that I had complete confidence.

"It could emerge at any moment, so stay prepared." I cautioned the rest of my team as we stood outside the dilapidated mountain shrine. It was the size of a small hut, and had partially collapsed in on its self. Nature had reclaimed the former shrine years ago. Vines entangled themselves in the structure, the walls covered in moss and crooked. It had lost its air of divinity and had become nothing more than desolate and foreboding.

This mountain shrine once housed a minor fox deity; a three tailed fox known as Hina-Sara. A spirit known for her benevolence, she had blessed the mountain village here with bountiful harvests as a way of giving thanks to the locals whom had once nursed her back to health after an injury.

Unfortunately, however, the village had died out decades ago because of a disease. The prayers and offerings of the worshipers had bound the fox spirit to the shrine. Unable to leave even after the village became empty, Hina-Sara had slowly withered away and died herself.

The village had been small and isolated and with no one around to find their bodies; the dead had remained rotting on their sickbeds without being given proper burials. This had created a saturation of malice as their suffering souls became trapped on the mountain.

By the time some passing monks had discovered the bodies and performed funeral rites, the souls of the dead had already become one with the spirit of their deity, whose lonely spirit had absorbed them.

Over the decades Hina-Sara, tainted with the malice, continued to Darken until she had become a malevolent entity that spirited away any traveler unfortunate to come too close to the mountain shrine.