Tengu's bride | Giyushino [First draft]

[Prologue] ~ Pleas of a mother

The cries of a pleading mother filled the ears of nearby villagers as they murmured and gossiped among themselves.

"Please!" The mother screamed, and her husband, who was tearing himself up, was desperately trying to calm his wife down.

"Please don't take away another one of my own blood! Please don't take my child away from us again." The mother continued to scream and cry, violently shaking as she sat on the dirty ground.

Her child, a petite girl who looks like she just recently reached adulthood, stood nearby. Her arms were violently tugged by two men as she struggled to let go of their strong grip.

"Hey! Let me go! Mother! Father!" The grips eventually weakened, and the young woman managed to slip away and run into the open arms of her parents. She cried, hugging them as tightly as her short arms could.

The old man standing before them scoffed. His scruffy voice shook them to their cores, but the youngest gave him a death glare, not letting her guards down.

"How could we not use her? Look at this little girl; her body is so fragile that she could snap in half if I even poked her. If she continues to live here, no men will want her, and she'll eventually die all alone. Sure, she is smart, but no man likes smart women... At least she'll be of use to us if she gets sacrificed." As the old man spoke, the mother continued to sob as she called out her daughter's name over and over again.

The father shuffled closer to them as he wrapped his arms around them tighter than before. His lips quivered with fear, and his eyes were filled with tears. Both of their faces swollen from crying too much, while the passersby watched with grins plastered on all their faces.

The old man chuckled while watching the family before him trembled with fear.

"You have already taken my oldest child from us! Have you no shame? You get to sit down and enjoy life with your children as they grow up to give you grandchildren, while the rest of us have to suffer because of your family's greed. My family has donated our savings to the community every year, hoping to be on your good side. Is that not enough? Please, at least let us keep our youngest with us till the end of time." The father begged; he loosened his grips on his wife and child to bow at the man standing before him.

His wife and child watched the man as he looked away, clasping one of his hands to his lips, seeming to be in deep thought.

'Is he considering it?' The mother hoped and prayed.

For a second, it looked like the old man was considering it before he pulled his hands away from his lips, revealing a sickening smile.

The father looked up, and his eyes widened as he watched the man walk closer to them.

"Do you think I care what you had to say, Kocho?" The man suddenly grabbed a chunk of the father's hair, pulling his face closer to his. The father winced as he felt himself being lifted up.

'For an old man, his grip is very strong.' Their daughter thought.

"No! Let go of him!" The mother tried to pry, but she cried out as the old man slapped her away with his other hand. "Mother!"

"If you think your filthy commoner money can sweeten your way in, then you are absolutely wrong. At the end of the day, you are all beneath me, and as someone with the highest position here, I can get to do whatever I want, and if I want to sacrifice someone's child for the greater good of my village, then I can do exactly that."

With that, the man pushed the father to the ground, causing his head to hit against the hard sidewalk. He winced as he took his hand and lightly touched the wound on his head. He clenched his jaw as he observed the blood trailing down his fingers.

"On the second day next week, I'll send some people to help your daughter get ready to see her new husband. If you try anything, there'll be consequences. Remember, I have the highest position here." He then chuckled while the family teared up again.

"We'll see you then, Shinobu Kocho."