Blade Song

Chapter 11- Like Water

Our second day of travel passed very uneventfully. No one tried to drown me, much less fight me, and the slow pace was making me itch for battle even worse than usual. Kiyoshi and I talked for a while the second night too. It was nothing of particular interest, mostly just idle chatter. Still, it seemed like our night talks might become some sort of routine. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that. The chance to study him was great, but I found myself all too eager to slip into relaxed conversation. To let my own guard down was never part of my plan and I had to constantly remind myself of that.

We'd just finished our midday break when Mitsuo turned back to me. "So, excited about seeing the White Wood?"

"If it's as dull as this, not at all," I said.

He laughed. "No. No. It's great. You'll love it. You can make your new life whatever you want. It's not like you have to be stuck indoors all day doing something you hate. There are plenty of jobs outside that keep you busy. Plus, since we go to great lengths to keep what that place actually is a secret, we have patrol units. That job can get a little bit intense sometimes."

I smirked. "I doubt it's my level of intense."

Mitsuo shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe if you met the right guy, you might be alright settling down. I believe Kiyoshi is available." He elbowed his brother playfully.

The fox narrowed his eyes. "You aren't very funny."

"From what I hear, I might be a little old for him." I regretted the words as soon as I said them.

Kiyoshi's expression turned sullen instantly. "I suppose I should be happy the rumors about me are so effective."

Mitsuo looked from his brother to me with a worried expression, then fell silent.

Dammit. Why did I have such a smart mouth? I'd gotten so defensive when Mitsuo mentioned Kiyoshi. Why? And why the hell did I care at all? Why was I so disappointed in myself for insulting a monster?

It's because I knew that rumor about him wasn't true. I hadn't made up my mind about him completely, but I was sure he wasn't harming children. I'd seen him run around with the kids in the group, how he'd let them tug at his ears and tail. I'd also seen the behavior of those who prey on children, seen the look in their eyes when they were around one. It made my stomach turn. Kiyoshi did not have that look about him at all.

Thanks to me, there was absolutely zero conversation after that for the next few hours, but then, Kiyoshi stopped dead in his tracks. He must have picked up the smell long before either of us did. Without a word, the fox took off full speed down the trail. I readied my chakrams as Mitsuo drew his short sword and we ran after Kiyoshi.

My nose is nowhere as good as Kiyoshi's, but I still smelled them before they came into sight. The smell was so thick and damp in your nose you could almost taste it. It was like meat that had been cooking too long, but at the same time entirely different. It carried with it the acrid scent of burning hair and putrid stench of cooking organs. I knew at once that I would never forget this smell.

As we continued further, the smell only got worse, until at last, we caught up with Kiyoshi. He was standing with his hands balled up into fists. In front of him were the charred remains of two burn victims. Their bodies were a deep red. A blackened shell of clothing and skin clung to them in patches.

Kiyoshi said nothing, but his ear twitched to the left and he marched in that direction. Mitsuo and I followed again, all of us silent.

A group of three demons sitting around a campfire came into view. They were all heftily built with stubby spines sprouting along their foreheads and jawlines. They laughed and drank, despite the terrible smell of burning flesh still lingering in the air.