Way of the Wolf

Chapter 8 The Truth

I pant heavily, as I jump ledge to ledge up the mountain. Wanderer holds on tight with her life in my hands as I soar 3 metres in the air at every jump. As we go higher, can we only see the pure destruction of the land. Gorges ran like snakes for miles around, the mountain in the centre.
"Do you think the youkai will be alright that I am coming with you?" Yells Wanderer above the wind. I don't answer, my only goal that we reach the peak before sunset.
'But, the sky is so red, I wouldn't know if it was night or not.' I think to myself as the wind drops a bit.
We reach what looks like a village, carved into the mountain. Wolf Youkai bustling everywhere stop when they see us. The entire village seems to stop, all focused on us.
"Hey Guys!!! It's that half youkai Ashiato I told you about!" And Fuchuina runs to me, his delight displayed like a colourful show on his face. Everyone brightens and walks to me, smiling, hands held out in friendship. Women run to me, and lift Wanderer off my back and carry her off.
"Where are they taking her?" I ask worriedly to Fuchuina as the crowd sweeps me away towards the biggest building, a manor with burly mountain deer youkai guarding the entrance, antlers held aloft.
"Our woman specialise in human treatment too. We have a number of half youkai here and their human parents here." I was shocked. Up until now, I was believed to be the only half wolf youkai. But to be told there were others like me, but have grown up with these amazing people...
From the doors of the manor, steps a man. He has a long grey beard, and there is wisdom in his eyes. His grey wolf ears hang limply from his bald head. And beside him, is Hagishi. We embrace, not physically, but through our eyes. He smiles warmly at me, then growls something into the bearded mans ears. The man erupts into a toothy smile and roars out a hearth laugh and throws his fists in the air. Everyone around me does like wise, and I am deafened beyond compare.
"I hear you are a friend of my friend, Hagishi." Roared the man, walking forward and slapping me heartily on the back, so hard I was certain that my dinner would show up. I laugh along, something I'm not exactly used to, laughing.
I am led by the mountain deer youkai and a group of burly wolf youkai into the manor. As I am strutted down the long, endless corridor, I gaze at pictures of what I presume to be of past Mountain Wolf Youkai leaders. 2 catch my eye, one of a woman, with one black ear and one grey ear. She has grey hair, longer than the crimson dress she is wearing and it trails across the floor. She is the only woman in any of the paintings surrounding the dark corridor light by torches.
"That was my mother." The bearded man walks to me, and gestures to the name plate under the painting. Astra Howler.
"Beautiful, wasn't she? Unfortunately I got my fathers gene." Laughs the man at his self-mocking joke, and gestures to the next painting. This painting is the next one that stands out, because next to him, the bearded man, stands Hagishi.
"You want to know a secret boy?" The man says putting his arm around my shoulders. Pointing to the plate under the painting, he gestures to the words, Hansuke and Hagishi Howler. I was a bit surprised. They shared the last name, and they were both leaders. I look to Hansuke for an explanation. He smiles sadly.
"Hagishi was the first pure-blooded wolf to ever be born from a youkai. We were twins, and the diversity between us was what brought us closer. He left to join the other wolves, his impact here was too great for him to remain here, watched with curiosity by his fellow wolves and youkai every day."
I stared long and hard at Hagishi in the picture. His greyish fur, was a tawny hawk colour, but he had the same eyes and wolfish smile.
"How did the forest wolves accept him? After the war?" I turned to Hansuke. He smiled, sadly.
"The mountain wolves and forest wolves remained friends, even after the 2 different wolf youkai fought. Over such a trivial thing, really. It was over a mountain wolf youkai, who became the first to marry a human." I wondered who that youkai was, to take such a risk for love, a love that tore two tribes apart.
"But it ended in tragedy, the human died giving birth and after the mountain wolf's child was born, he impersonated as a forest wolf youkai. When Sakebi found out, the child was 6, and so he killed the father, leaving the child an orphan."
I hated Sakebi even more. That child was like me, his mother died, father killed. I felt closer to the child, though I didn't even know if it was a boy or girl.
"What happened to the kid?" I say, now studying the picture of a younger Hansuke, the fat belly still intact. I turn to see Hansuke smiling, memories in his eyes.
"I don't know of his life, but I know he is now a brave and strong half mountain wolf youkai, brought up thinking he was part forest wolf youkai. He is like his father in every angle of appearance, and like his mother, loving, and willing to risk limbs for his family." I sigh in delight, glad the child was now content, happy.
"I would really like to meet him." I say eagerly. Hansuke laughs heartily.
"Why, he is here in this building!" I look around hopefully. But no sign of anyone other than me and Hansuke.
"Where is he?" Hansuke smiles, a warm smile, and says,
"You can only see him when you look at yourself in the mirror. For the child who tore two tribes apart, was you, Ashiato."