The Lord of the Moon and the Lady of the Night

The first night

                                               Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Night

        Feudal, Japan a turbulent time of war and famine for the common man and only those of noble birth are excluded from it. This is a time of unimaginable power and shoguns. This was also an age propionate of yokai and deities. These creatures of myth are involved in every aspect of human life from missing items to falling brooms. These yokai are made up of both good and bad intentions. Some are born of evil spirits, of animals, or even mistreated objects revived with a soul. Mankind found a way to ward off these creatures of myth – Shikigami or exorcists. These are men from distinguished families with high spiritual powers. They possess something most people do not the ability to see yokai, make contracts with yokai, and if need be eliminate yokai.

                     "My dearest Izayoi,

    How are you doing my dearest daughter? How is the home front? Things are not looking well right now. The enemy refuses to give in. They have attacked on multiple flanks but it would seem that we have the upper hand, although, the eastern flank keeps failing due to that ignorant general Atarina. I hope that I will see you soon my daughter. I miss you very much. How is the Lord?

I hope to see you soon my beautiful moon.

Your father,

Ashikata. "

   "I miss you too father. I wish you were here," she whispered softly. Her eyes scanned over the neat calligraphy of her father's handwriting. It was even neater than her own writing. Her heart ached for his safe return. 'Maybe when he returns she could return to her childhood home with her father?' Izayoi gave a sad smile as she placed pork dumplings at the shrines doorway.

    "But then who would bring you offerings?" She said out loud mostly to herself with a small smile. She swept leaves off the small triangle roof of the shrine. She knelt down in her finest silk robes and prayed tears streaking down her cheeks a blue bruise chasing up her neck and a crossed her cheek. Even her white powder couldn't hide all of Takimaru's abuse. Praying to deities kept them alive and in a way, they kept her alive as well. Small yokai pulled at her kimono sleeves, dancing about her, begging for her tears to stop. The howl of the nine tailed fox was audible in the light breeze. This soft maiden gave offerings to the spirits every day and prayed for something better to happen and even the foulest beasts needed to see that happen to her.

A white-haired lord sat at his desk with furrowed brows, with golden eyes narrowed. A small kappa continued to pull at is leg demanding his attention.

"Inutashio you have to listen! There is a beautiful maiden in the eastern lands that needs your help!" The blue frog-like yokai cried nearly spilling the water on top of his head.

"No, I have a lot of work to do Kappa. I don't have time to go save some damsel in distress."

"Oh but wait! You don't understand this is the daughter of a Shogun."

"So what? So she's an entitled little girl in an arranged marriage."

"No, this is the daughter of Ashikata the beautiful maiden Izayoi married to Takimaru of the eastern lands." His head whipped around from his paperwork to face the gaping and toothless smile of the Kapa.

"That shogun's daughter. Why didn't you say that sooner? "

"I heard from the youkai of the eastern castle that he beats her because she is barren." The lord's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Does...Ashikata know about this?" The kappa vigorously shook his head from side to side.

"From what I heard," he said with the bright grin of a gossip." She keeps it quiet. But from what I heard he's isolated her from the court entirely." The Lord sighed heavily pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'll see what I can do kappa, now go I have things to do." He shooed the youkai away with a dismissive hand.

                   Smack. Takimaru's hand came down hard a crossed Izayoi's face.

"You can't bear me a son and now you can even please your husband. What good are you?" Takimaru yelled at Izayoi his deep voice echoed through the thin paper walls. His naked flesh gleamed in the low candlelight as he pulled his clothes back on. Izayoi's head was bowed to the floor the layers of her kimono were disheveled.

"I... I am very sorry my lord. I am sorry. " Izayoi repeated over and over to him. He glared at his groveling wife with hatred and malice and stormed off slamming the sliding door behind him.

"Are you okay Izayoi?" A maid whispered softly. Izayoi swiped the tears away from her face gripping again at robes. The maid quietly began helping her remove the twelve layers of silk from Izayoi's shoulders, gently folding them up into a neat stack. Izayoi stood there with her head bowed and slumped shoulders.

"You may go now."Izayoi's voice was but a broken whisper.

"Izayoi ... I."

"Please. Don't say anything Ame." Ame had been Izayoi's maid since she came to live with the lord of the eastern lands. Ame was the only friend Izayoi had in the castle. All the other women thought she was disgraceful for not bearing the Lord a son. "I'm going to bed now."

That night a knock sounded outside her room. Izayoi jerked awake her heart rising.

"Wh... who's there," she called out quietly. She pulled her white lapels of her Jenbei together close to her neck. She feared it was her husband had come back. The door slides open slowly and what stood in the moonlight was not the lord of the manor. Instead, a warrior stood in the glow of the moonlight. A tall man loomed in the doorway. His long silver hair tied up in a long ponytail that whipped past his face in the breeze. Izayoi stood motionless, terrified, her mind completely blank. He looked more like a demon than a man covered in dragon spiked armor and sheaths on both hips and on his back. Dressed in a white kimono with no pattern.