I think to myself under the itchy black canvas I call a blanket, wether it really was a good idea to live my days trying to impress the youkai. I have heard of villages where youkai are welcome, though only few youkai ever do visit there. Those are the villages most half breeds come from. My mother wasn't from any of those villages. The worst part was that she was from a prestigious family, incredibly rich. But she fell in love with my dad none the less, losing all she had. Why? And my dad had it all. He was respected, feared amongst the youkai. But he ran off with a mortal...because he loved her.
'Perhaps,' I think to myself, 'humans aren't so bad after all. They aren't just meager beings. They share the same qualities as youkai, the same needs as youkai.' I sigh heavily, turning on my nest of moss and leaves to look at Wanderer sleeping across the cave. Her eyes flutter in her sleep, and she mumbles. Perhaps she is dreaming of the life she could've had if she hadn't been "cursed". I wondered if maybe, I could take her back to her village and talk some sense into the residents, or perhaps get her family out of there. Humans can't tell between youkai, half youkai or fox and snake youkai impersonating as humans. Except for priestesses, priests and monks of course.
I look up at the ceiling of the cave. When howls of wolves fill the air. I bolt up right. I may not understand animals, but I knew that the wolves were distressed. Wanderer sits up, rubbing her eyes until they are wide open staring at me from across the cave. I brush leaves and grass of me as I grab the double edged sword that belonged to my father from its neglected state in the corner of the cave. I place it in its sheath as Wanderer puts on her cloak and pulls her hood over her head.
"No." I say firmly to her. She looks up, dismay on her face.
"I can't let you go by yourself!" She protests. I growl, a deep one from from the back of my throat. She looks taken back, and steps backward. I sigh heavily, and I race out the cave. I didn't want to admit to her that I was worried she wouldn't survive in her condition.
I arrive at the wolf youkai village area. Wolves run amock everywhere, wolf youkai trying to console them. I look around to see what had distressed them so, and I noticed something that the wolf youkai had missed. That Hagishi wasn't among the wolves. Hagishi, is the leader of the wolf pack, and he and Sakebi aren't usually on good terms. In this chaos, Hagishi should've been here, guiding the wolf pack with his gentle growls and rumbles. I guess since humans notice the smallest things in life all the time, this sense occurred to me. I look around, trying to catch a glimpse of Hagishi's greyish white fur, but I don't. Then there is silence. The wolves stand still heads turned past me. I turn too, as do the Wolf Youkai. And we all gasp, the wolves growl, betrayal spelt out with their growls.
Sakebi stands, holding out a dead Hagishi, with wolf marks in his chest. His gentle face, tainted with his blood. Sakebi snarls,
"I think we all know who did this." And everyone's heads turn to me. The wolf pack, however, circle me, and bear their teeth towards the others, like they are protecting me. Sakebi continues,
"My wolf brothers, you are protecting the half breed low life traitor. You should be devouring him whole. He killed you leader." Anger bursts out my mouth like a erupting volcano.
"What? Hagishi was my friend! He accepted me! Why would I kill him? " but the pack, snarl at me, as if to say 'leave this to us,' and turn back to Sakebi. He says calmly to the wolves.
"Please, allow us to deal with this traitor." But the wolves are adamant. Then I hear a yell. Everyone turns, to see Wanderer coming towards us, cloak flying in the wind, riding Hagishi. I groan as everyone mutters, turning from the fake Hagishi to the real one. And they mutter things like "allowing a mortal to mount him". Sakebi's plans of framing me and killing me are wasted, as Hagishi stops to allow Wanderer to get down. Then all hell breaks loose. The wolves, fight their descendants, the wolf youkai. Blood, claws, screams, a mixture of rebellion.
Hagishi grabs my hand with his teeth, and drags me to the forest, along with 2 other wolves carrying Wanderer. Then, Hagishi, he speaks. And I understand him.
"Run children. Be free, from our tainted race." And from absolutely no where, a wild wind picks up me and Wanderer, like being caught in a tornado. The last thing I see, is the wolf pack fighting on the behalf of me and Wanderer, and the kind face of Hagishi, all off them doing this, for me and Wanderers freedom. And for the first time ever, I feel loved.
YOU ARE READING
Way of the Wolf
FantasyMy name is Ashiato. I am half a wolf youkai. I was convicted of the crime of having a human mother, for being born. This is the Way of the Wolf.
