Nine ancient yokai have been sealed inside a sword for centuries. In the modern day, they've escaped from their imprisonment to wreak havoc on the innocent.
On her birthday Melanie receives an unexpected surprise, she's the granddaughter of a kitsu...
"How is everything kept hidden? Surely if you have such a large population of mythical creatures, eventually they'll escape and reveal the masquerade," I said.
Hoshiko said, "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."
"Did you just quote the Bible?"
"You are underestimating the powers at work here. The masquerade began because of the Industrial Revolution and the invention of photography, but who do you think would benefit most from myth's oblivion? Who would love to shove all evidence of magic into a mythscape, away from human eyes?"
The church stood as tall as a stone giant. For a moment there I saw the Church of the Holy Name not as a mere landmark, but as a castle, its gatehouse guarding the secrets of the otherworld.
Hoshiko and I walked toward a stop to wait for a streetcar to arrive. I looked around, marvelling at my surroundings. I knew I was on the Danforth, but it felt nothing like the neighbourhood where I grew up. Old 1950s style cars would pass by, and above the streets were people travelling on flying brooms or magic carpets. Far up in the sky, where I'd ordinarily find airplanes, were majestic dragons spreading their wings. I was amazed, but at the same time scared, I had not imagined an entire parallel society living side by side with our world.
I felt an arm wrap around my waist, and I turned my head to see a hairy man leering at me. He smelled like someone who hadn't washed himself in a week, and he had large goat horns and goat legs. The stranger wore no shirt, and I cringed seeing his chest hairs rubbing all over me.
"Girl, you're so pretty you're making my hormones act up. Wanna fool around with me?"
What the fuck?
I saw Hoshiko approach the hairy horned man from behind with a fake smile. "Yoohoo, Mr. Satyr. What do you think you're doing?"
The satyr turned around. "What's your problem?" he spat. He looked at Hoshiko up and down and his irritation at being interrupted turned into a lecherous smile. "My my, now you have a body to die for..."
The satyr let go of me to approach Hoshiko. The vixen lowered her voice, "Are you sure you want to play with me? You wouldn't survive it."
The satyr grinned, "Even better..."
Hoshiko pulled the satyr into a kiss, and the satyr reciprocated. Then I saw the satyr panic, trying to push Hoshiko away, his eyes wide in fear. Hoshiko's grip remained firm, and the satyr gradually closed his eyes, and his grasp on Hoshiko loosened until his arms dangled by his sides limply. When she let the satyr go, he fell on the ground unconscious like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Hoshiko sighed and shook her head. "A word of advice to you, keep your distance from satyrs. They chase after any woman they see. Satyrs also tend to-how do I put this politely-FORCE themselves upon you, so watch out."
I looked at the body of the sleeping satyr on the ground. Ironically, it seemed like Hoshiko was the one who forced herself upon him. "I'll keep that in mind."
***
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