Utsushiyo Monogatari: Crimson Shadow

Chapter Ten: Secrets

The little yōkai jeweller flew across the cave and slammed forcefully  against the jagged edges of the rocks by some unseen force. Greenish viscous substances started to ooze out of his lacerations in the arm, searing his flesh as he slided down hitting more rocks on his way down. The small imp like creature whimpered in fear as Makoto's shadow with its eight shadowy legs towered menacingly over him. Standing before the jeweller, Makoto was surprisingly calm, holding the accursed bracelet but the jeweller knew better that each smile brought more pain. 

"O-Tama-sama, why not make it easy for yourself?", Makoto's smooth deep voice echoed threateningly in the dank dark cave. 

"Kumogami sama...I am innocent. I swear."

"I did not ask about your innocence. Let me ask the question again, with the bracelet you made, my instructions was as I recalled...not to harm the wearer. So why did it harm the wearer?", Makoto folded his arms but his shadow on the damp greyish cave wall, a spidery form was waving eight wispy legs. 

"Your request...wwwwas...ttt to protect a ...hhhhuman. I don't understand...", Tama stuttered nervously.

"I never told you that it was for a human."

Tama immediately flew face first against the cave, thrown by an invisible force. Much to Tama's utter dismay, Makoto did remember his instructions clearly. He slided down in agony, as he whimpered pitifully. Makoto wanted a protection bracelet for a wearer, not a cursed one he made.

"Again..."

"Stop...I will tell you everything...another Daiyōkai told me that you were making it for a human."

"You took a shortcut?", Makoto narrowed his glowing yellow eyes and smiled evilly. That was an excuse to vanquish a yōkai. An eerie greenish glow surrounded his hand as was the vapours which floated and seared Tama's injuries, causing him to scream in agony. Makoto was generating enough yōki to kill him in one swift blow.

A century past and the events have finally returned to haunt him. It was almost like yesterday. That very fateful event was clear - while Makoto was leaving, another came in. 

"STOOPPPPPP I WILL tell...", Tama begged for his life. 

—————

Human lives were breath takingly short.  With two delicate hands holding a fine bronze casted cup with a symbol, filled to the brim with sake, a lonely slender figure stood before unmarked fresh grave mound. Long hair and the heavily adorned black robe fluttered in the breeze. The head bowed silently as the breeze, tinkered with a golden bird-like hair ornament,  in reverence to bid an old friend the final farewell before his entry to Ne-no-kuni.

"To our friendship of two lifetimes, old friend.", the figure tipped the sake in a straight line before the grave. 

"For alleviating my homesickness." Another flow of sake drew a parallel line on the soil. 

"For poetry as one's life flowed. Your famous reply to Tennō Heika.

Why no other plan to quell the barbarians? 

Her body was used to pacify one border.

Her tears followed the endless fortification and finally ceased...."

"Her grief reached to the eternal far heavens.", Seiryu's voice interrupted Katori's recital as he took over. 

"In the distant province, the moon reflected in a wayfarer's mirror.

And in the barbarian lands, the cold froze her fine traveling silk dress. 

How could she bear to live in a vulgar cloth tent.