Inari's Renegade

Chapter 3 (Revised)

Chapter 3

    If there was any chance of finding that nogitsune, I believe this would be the place. The greenish-blue water lapped against the boat causing it to rock back and forth like a cradle.  The marsh was filled with song as the cicadas hissed in the bushes and birds chirped in the trees.  The lake portrayed an idyllic scene, yet I knew it was anything but.  I couldn’t even enjoy the father-daughter fishing trip because I was so on edge.

“Someone help me, someone please!”

The cry broke me out of my reverie.

“Do you hear that?” dad asked. I nodded. He started up the boat and we cruised towards the direction we heard the noise. 

  In the distance we saw a woman, wadding in the water. She waved one hand in the air to get our attention while she held something else in the other. Up close, I saw two versions of her. One of  what she appeared to be and the other of what she really was.  The one she portrayed was beautiful.

  She had pearl white skin and glossy black hair that seemed to be in disarray, but still beautiful. She had red lips pulled back into a grimace and light blue pupils that almost seemed to blend in with her whites of her eyes. The other version was horrifying.  Her black hair was dirty and seemed to coil out like snakes. Her skin was cracked and her mouth was red with blood instead of lipstick.

“Are you okay?” Dad asked, leaning over the edge of the boat.

The woman shook her head. ‘My husband dumped my baby and me here to die. Please help us!”

I saw a muscle twitch in his jaw before he told me to take the baby. The woman held out her “bundle of joy” which was a blob of white flesh and what appeared to be a face somewhere embedded within  As soon as she tried to place it in my hands, I jerked back causing the thing to sink into the bed of our boat instead.

“Penelope!” Dad shouted. He bent down to pick it up when I pulled him back.

“No!” I shouted.

  He gave me a look that was a mixture between confusion and anger. “What has gotten…” The woman rose out of the water and wrapped her arms around him before pulling him under beofre I could react. 

  Quickly getting over my shock, I sprang into action, grabbing my sword before diving in.The creature held my father underwater as he struggled, covering his mouth and nose to suffocate him. I drew my sword and stabbed it in the tail. It let out an inhuman wail and I quickly, swap past her, grabbing him and swimming towards the surface.  It didn’t want to leave my sword down there, but I had no choice. Retrieving it would free the creature and I didn’t want it coming back for us. Once I got to the bank, I laid dad on the ground. He was unconscious, but he was still breathing.

“Well this is interesting.” I heard a voice say.

  I looked around, but couldn’t see anyone. Then I spotted him sitting on a tree branch. His black hair was in tangles and he had glowing red eyes that seemed to regard me with amusement. Black furry fox ears stuck out of his head and he had three black tails tiped with white.

“You’re the first person—or should I say fox--I’ve seen who’s ever escaped that Nure-onna. I should thank you if you killed it.”

  “You,” I growled. I reached for my sword when I realized I didn’t have it anymore.

“Looking for this?” He held up my sword.

“How did you…”

“You’re the one who stepped foot on my marsh, so you don’t get to ask the questions.”

  He jumped down from the tree and as soon as he did, I tried tottackle him, but he quickly dodged. I had to fight to regain my balance as I almost made a face plant. By the time I whirled around. He was holding up my father, with the sword held at my father’s throat.

“Don’t—” I shouted.

“Think about it?” He smirked. “You came to kill me didn’t you? The way I see it, it’s a life for a life.”

  I growled before turning into my full fox form. There was no way I was going to let him hurt an innocent person. Heat built up inside of me along with my anger and I exhaled, causing a surge of fire to barell towards him. He held up my sword, deflecting the attack and I evaded it as it came back to me. The next think I knew everything went black, and I fell.

  When I opened my eyes, everything was the way it should be again, but I felt something missing. Something that I needed.

“Kaneko,” I heard someone whisper. I immeaditly stood up and gasped when I saw the kitsune holding my starball.

My blood ran cold and I stared at him. How did he manage to snag that from me?”

“You really shouldn’t have left yourself open like that.” He tsked. “And to have your true name written on your starball too? Well that’s just plan stupidity.”

I tried to suppress the panic that rising within me. “What are you going to do with me.” I whispered.

A grin slowly appeared on his face. “I want you to take your human and get out of here.” He pushed dad towards me and I quickly transformed back and caught him in my arms. “When I need you, I’ll find you…my servant.”

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...And the plot thickens. :P

  The reason why I put revised was beacuse this was the second draft of this chapter. I wasn't sure if this was better than my original, so I'm going to let you guys be the judge of that if you want to read that version as well. How was the fighting scene? Anything that I need to fix? Did I tell more than I show?

  If your'e liking the book so far, please vote! Personally, I don't care much aboout the voting, but it tells me you are enjoyinghe story ane that something that makes my day! ^-^ So go ahead and make me happy!