The Ogre's Bride

Chapter 1

When me and my sister were young girls an ayakashi saved our lives. I was shocked by it's kindness, so the memory keeps coming back to me. Soon after we were adopted by our grandfather, he taught me and Aoi all he could about cooking, saying it was better to feed ayakashi than become the food. Though I could never get the hang of it something that which Aoi naturally excelled in.

I walked on the cobblestone beside my sister as we were trying to make our way to our class. It became a difficult endeavour once we were surrounded by the cutes ayakashi. You see somehow me and Aoi have this strange ability to see these ayakashi, no doubt passed down to us from grandfather, oh how I miss him.

"Lilia." Aoi shouted as she finished up feeding the little ayakashi and made her way over to where I stood. "Hey what's wrong." I could hear a conserved note to her voice, which I couldn't help but appreciate. "Just thinking of Grandpa." I new she could see the sadness in my eye's as I gazed at her.

She didn't say anything, yet she didn't have to all I need was the arm she held around my shoulder, giving me a comfort I could never live without. "Let's get going." I nodded and gave her smile so she knew I was ok. It's been really hard since Grandfather died, the both of us being so close to him didn't help the grief, I knew held both our hearts. Aoi had her cooking with Grandfather and with me we could talk for hours about the different and strange ayakashi the had come across in his life.

We continued on our walk, arms linked as if one of us was to lose the other. Suddenly there was a harsh gust of wind that caused the cherry blossoms to fall from the tree a few of their petals landing in my hair. Gazing around to settle my self as the wind had nocked me back a step, I noticed something on the steps leading to the shrine. An ayakashi, a humanoid one at that.

I look to and she looked at me, a slant agreement to keep going, though it didn't last long as we passed by the ayakashi. "I'm really quite hungry." I stopped for a second though it was only when the ayakashi spoke next that Aoi stopped in her tracks. "I said I'm hungry." Without waiting for Aoi I made my way over to stand a pace or two in front of the strange ayakashi. "Here, I don't want you attacking any passer by's." I spoke as I took my wrapped lunch from the bag at my waist.

I didn't realise Aoi was beside me until she spoke. "Lilia give him mine. I'd rather you keep yours." Even though aoi was only older than me by an hour, she still couldn't help taking on the protective older sister role. I shook my head as the ayakashi stretched out it's hand, with claw like nails, and took the wrapped meal.

Waiting a mount I couldn't help but stair as he moved his mask slightly to be able to eat. From what I could see he was definitely the most civilised ayakashi I had ever seen, though there was this air of familiarity around him that I couldn't quite place.

The both of us began to walk off leaving the ayakashi, though we were stopped in our tracks as he spoke next. "It's delicious, Aoi." How did he know her name. We continued on though I heard a faint whisper in the wind. "Thank you Lilia." Who said that? I took a glance around me but no one but Aoi was there, strange.

Class had been and gone by the time the two of us began our walk home and I couldn't;'t wait seeing as I sadly hand't eaten since this morning. We passed by the stair way to the temple again and something caught my eye. "Aoi wait." I said as I made my way over to the steps where I found a small wrapped package with the wrapping of my lunch lying beneath it.

Looking closer I found a small flower pocking out. "What's that?" Aoi asked as she came to stand beside me, holding my shoulder to get a closer look. Taking the flower out of packaging I realised it wasn't a flower but a crystal camellia on the edge of a brown hair pin. "It's beautiful." I whispered as I slotted it into the side of my plaited hair.

"This is new, ayakashi don't normally leave gifts." I nodded as I began to unravel the fabric surrounding the small package. "It is. I wonder why." Before I could finish my sentence the design on the wrapping began to melt together as I felt myself slipping away.

My mind felt like it was in a haze, as if I was stuck in a dream of some kind, but then I heard a voice. "Welcome to the hidden realm my lovely." The voice felt like a soft caress against my skin and a gentle stroke of my hair. It was so calming, yet ominous. "You are now my bride." What? Was my last thought before I felt my body collide with a carpeted floor.

Thankfully I was coherent bough to have been able to keep my eye's open, but with what I saw I wish I hadn't. The room was filled with ayakashi lined up on either side of the room, all wearing strange masks that sent a chill down my spine. "Ayakashi." Hearing the voice my head turned to my right. "Aoi." She turned to face me and immediately held me an embrace I was all to quick to accept.

Pulling away I felt a presence before me. Turning my head upwards I found the same ayakashi from earlier this morning, he was taller than I had previously guessed. Reaching to his masked, with his claw like nails he removed it revealing, what I could only describe as handsome yet beautiful face underneath. His eye's a deep ruby red and his skin a pail white in comparison.

The words he spoke next, were not what I expected. "How are you feeling my lovely bride." I don't know why but I had expected his words to be directed at Aoi though when I realised his eye's had not stayed from my spot on the floor, I knew he could only be addressing me. I looked to Aoi my face a display of confusion. "Yes Lilia I mean you. You are going to be my wife." I could feel my eye's bulge as memories began to storm my mind all at once, with two words echoing among them, Ogre Bride.