A New Land God?

Chapter 4: Arisu Becomes a Target

Arisu was sleeping while Tomoe tended the wound on her arm. Suddenly, she started to thrash violently. He had nullified the toxins with some herbs in the garden and now he was just trying to bandage the scratch, but Arisu wouldn't be still enough for him to finish treating her. She was having a nightmare about when her mother was killed. Tomoe looked at her with concern clouding his usually piercing blue eyes. Arisu cried out in her sleep.

-Dream-
A fire god that was notorious for his temper burst into the house where Arisu and her mother, Lady Yuki, were playing. His white snake familiar glared at Arisu with his piercing green eyes. She started to quiver. "What's going on mommy?" Arisu asked softly. Yuki stroked her daughter's tail soothingly. "I will take care of this, Arisu. Stay here, honey." she whispered in her ear. Lady Yuki led the god and his familiar away. They went into another room and shut the door. Arisu slowly followed after the lock clicked. She pressed against the door and her ears pricked as she strained to hear what was going on. There was yelling and a series of loud crashes. The scent of smoke and flames filled the air.
Burning. Fire. Arisu's childhood home was now on fire, and the angry god nowhere to be seen. Arisu ran to find her mother.
When Arisu finally did find her the white snake was attacking Yuki. He bled from several slash wounds on his body and panted lightly. "Get away from my mommy!" Arisu yelled, starting to run to her mother's aid. Before she could get close the snake used his magic to create a snake made out of water and it coiled tightly around Yuki's head.
It all happened that night. Arisu remembered every moment, not in the waking world, but whenever she dreamed.
Her mother fell to the charred floor, her wet hair splayed around her head to look like a halo. Her cat ears twitched slightly, signaling that she was not yet dead. The white snake knew she'd die soon enough. He laughed triumphantly and left. Arisu crawled over to her mother's limp body.
"Mommy! Don't die!" Arisu wailed. Yuki opened her eyes weakly. "Don't cry, sweetie. I promise you that we will see each other again someday. Remember that I love you." she said, her voice growing fainter as she tried to comfort her crying daughter. More tears poured out of Arisu's eyes. "Mommy!" Arisu wailed. Her mother curled her tail around Arisu and pulled her close. Then she planted a kiss on Arisu's forehead and lay her head back down.
That last loving gesture cost her mother the last of her strength. After murmuring her last words, her brown eyes closed forever, never to gaze warmly at Arisu again. She couldn't make out her mother's whispered words, but when she closed her eyes, Arisu screamed, "MOMMY!!!" More tears streamed down her face as her desperate cry rang through the night. Then and there, Arisu vowed silently never to cry in front of anyone ever again as she felt the warmth flee from her mother's body.
-Dream End-

Arisu woke up with a jolt; she was hyperventilating and her heart was racing. She jumped when she felt a slender hand touch her shoulder. She turned and saw Tomoe looking at her with concerned blue eyes. Arisu slowly started to calm down by looking into Tomoe's ice blue eyes. "Are you feeling alright? You were tossing and turning all night." he asked without any hint of his usual coolness.
"Fine." Arisu replied curtly. Her heart started to race again at the warmth of his surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder. She flattened her ears and removed his hand. "I have nightmares all the time. It's not a big deal." she added quietly, turning away. Her tail wrapped around her.
Arisu looked around her room. The sparse furnishings that had been there the day before were replaced by nicer, more cozy furniture. There was a dresser, a TV, and a kotatsu among other things. "What happened to my room?" she asked quietly, trying to divert the topic of conversation away from her nightmare.
"I noticed that your sleeping chamber was in a state of neglect, so I took the liberty of seeing to your accommodations while you slept. I prepared everything I could imagine." Tomoe replied in a professional tone. "Why? I thought that you would be angry about serving a half breed as a familiar." Arisu remarked, remembering last night's events, including the kiss that sealed the familiar contract between her and Tomoe.
"Did you?" Tomoe asked. Arisu nodded. "Angry is far too tepid. I am seething with rage at the humiliation of serving you, of all creatures, as a familiar!" he growled. Her tail started to fluff up, but before Arisu could offer a stinging rebuke, his brief flash of anger was over. "But that cannot be helped. I will make you a living goddess worthy of me."
-Sorry about the unfinished chapter, I will finish it later, if you guys want.-