Foxfire: Veil of the Nine Phantoms

20: Whiteout V - The One-Eyed Sentinel

December 25 - Melanie

The snow and wind were relentless, and I struggled to see through the blizzard as Hoshiko and I flew through the snowstorm toward its source. A gust of frigid air smacked against my face, amplified by our breakneck speed through the city, and I was forced to squint through the swirling snow. Ahead of us, I could just barely see Satsuki appearing like a dark shape among shifting white.

We soared past the towering Gothic spire of the Cathedral Church of St. James, gliding over the historic buildings of Old Town until we reached the Distillery District. The three of us touched down gracefully atop a modern residential glass tower, where we perched high above the old distillery grounds. The snowstorm was most intense here, and I tried to shield my eyes from the biting wind.

Satsuki went to the edge of the rooftop, and peered down into the turbulent heart of the storm. The tengu pointed down toward the streets below. "There, I see them."

I strained my eyes to see but was met with a blinding expanse of snow. "What? I can't see a thing!"

Hoshiko joined Satsuki at the precipice. "I see it-a yuki-onna and an oni made of ice, likely her creation."

I squinted even harder, desperate to catch a glimpse of what Grandma was referring to, but the storm's fury obscured my vision.

"Don't rely solely on your physical sight. Use your magical sight, feel the presence of magic in the wind and snow around you, and peer through the blizzard," the kitsune suggested.

I heeded the advice and extended my senses into the indecipherable sea of snow below. That's when I noticed it-the unmistakable presence of two distinct magical auras. One was relatively small and human-sized, while the other loomed massive, far exceeding human proportions. The smaller aura stood still, but the giant aura seemed to walk around the Distillery District as if on patrol.

Grandma handed a fox mask to me, and as I donned it, I found myself instantly clad in the same dark witch costume I had worn on our first yokai hunt during Halloween, its black cloak billowing in the cold wind. Out of thin air she also pulled out the Kogitsune-maru and placed the sword in my outstretched hand.

"There was a confrontation here. Two masquerade enforcers clashed with the yuki-onna. Look at that one; frozen solid. The other met a crushing fate," Satsuki reported.

"A whole crowd of people got caught in the freeze too. If we act swiftly, we might save them," Hoshiko said.

"We must evacuate those frozen civilians from the district," Satsuki emphasized.

"I can transport the civilians to Parliament Square Park, where they can thaw out safely," Hoshiko offered.

"In that case, I shall gladly undertake the task of confronting the yuki-onna," solemnly declared the tengu. "Although I stand ready to face any challenge, might I venture to propose that you, with your fire magic, are more aptly equipped to engage with an ice sorceress than my own magical abilities?"

"No, no, no, you can have the fun of fighting her, my dearest. I'll focus on rescuing the civilians, and Melanie can handle the oni," the kitsune added.

"Me?!" I said. The hesitance welled up inside me, my nerves causing me to shiver uncontrollably, made worse by the intense cold. My trembling hands clung tightly to the sword, and my heart raced with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. "Wait, wait, wait. You mean I have to face the oni alone?" I stammered, and my anxiety made my voice squeak. A gut-wrenching fear was rising up inside me, threatening to overwhelm my resolve.

"Compared to the yuki-onna herself, that ice oni is a cakewalk, believe me," Hoshiko reassured me.

My mind started to wander, entertaining thoughts of a hasty escape, leaving Hoshiko and Satsuki to handle the situation on their own. Or perhaps, by some stroke of luck, masquerade enforcers might arrive at this very moment, sparing us the confrontation with the yokai below. But deep down, I knew I couldn't run away. It would not only disappoint them but also myself.