Pansa no kokoro

Uncertainty walks among them

The world Kori entered seemed to be dark and cold but light was coming from somewhere. The cold seemingly night air held no moon only stars. Kori looked around and noticed she was the outskirts of a city. The city had old-fashions lights and lanterns. From what she could see there was many women and men kimonos, she turned her head to find the yellow-eyed man glowering down at her. Once she looked up at him her body turned cold and her blood turned into ice. He looked at her for a moment longer making an disgusted grunt, "Come on.... we have ground to cover" Kori looked at his back and then realized, "HE HAS HORNS!" Just as her body turned back to normal she froze up again. Once he didn't hear her footsteps he stopped and turned around, "GOD! What's the damn hold up!" Kori could only stare at his horns and soon he took the hint, "You know you look stupid staring up at my horns." He remarked flatly. "S-sorry", Kori stammered before following behind him. She looked around as the entered a forest she spoke quietly, "Ghost! Ghost! Come boy!" She tiptoed along before a sudden loud voice startled her, "I can hear you, you know!" Kori jumped as the man turned to look at her, his face looked pissed his eyes brows close together. Kori looked down at her shoes when he spoke, "Maybe you should try howling for that mutt." he spoke his voice dripping with sarcasm. Kori nodded to him, "Thanks" she turned to the forest and cupped her hand over her mouth from the corner of her eyes she could see that the man had facepalmed and was giving her a blank look. She howled anyways the sound ringing out into the forest. Kori looked around just before a large creature shouldered it's way through the trees, it was Ghost! But Ghost wasn't a husky anymore he was so large that he towered over Kori and the man. Kori could hardly care she jumped to him hugging his neck tightly, "Ghost O, my god Ghost! I'm so Glad your safe you had mommy so worried!" The large dog barked happily licking her face. Kori looked at him taking in his enlarged features. His eyes were still blue and his fur was grey on white but everything else was bigger. "You done yet!?" a voice broke out, causing Kori to look over and Ghost to bared his teeth. The man glowered at Ghost as he shielded Kori from him. Kori looked through Ghost's fur, "Ummm" He looked at her then retorted, "If you think since you have your dog you can run your wrong. I can track you down and have both of you killed in less than two hours" Kori looked to him in shock as the whipped around and began walking, Kori nervously followed Ghost looming at her side as the walked to where ever this man was leading them. Kori looked ahead of her, "What's this guys problem? And where in the world is he taking us?" Kori walked silently along nervously. The rest of their journey was relatively boring soon the man stopped and turned his eyes to her, "This is a barrier to the Guardian Gates where you will stay. Follow." He stood at a certain place waiting for her. She looked at him then to Ghost anxiety gripping at her as she walked into what seemed like an invisible wall. From here on the forest seemed to change the tree were brighter and the forest seemed to sing a song as the wind swam through it. As they walked on Kori passed a small house, light grey with white roofing the house seemed small and quiet with a small garden growing at the back door and a birch deck surrounding the lower level. Kori looked to the house with a hint of hope in her eyes which was quickly stomped out as she looked back to the man. Ghost walked by her side just from being with him a while Kori could tell Ghost was just as scared as she was, but he did a better job of not showing it. Kori walked and walked and walked until the man came to an halt. Noticing this Kori  peeked out from behind him see a structure with an open roof and long longs acting as a wall. The fort looked barbaric but inside that was all but true. There were large cherry blossoms and plants that looped around the area.  With a light wood building with red accents. Kori looked around curiously as they went around the side on a building and stepped up into an large room with people inside! Kori felt as if her heart was bursting out of her chest, it seemed like breathing was the only thing she could manage. Kori looked around and noticed two of the people didn't even have human lower parts. The man sat down and Kori awkwardly sat down a little way back, she looked at her knees but it wasn't hard to tell every eye was on her. "Ahem..... is this the girl?" Kori looked up enough to see how spoke these words, he had dark green hair with amber eyes, from his cracked glasses and sagging dark green kimono it wasn't hard to tell he drank a lot. The lower part of his body was a huge snake like tail, it was flecked with white and muddy green spots but was mostly brown. He looked to the man that had kidnapped her with raised eyebrows. "tsk, Yeah" the man spat, as he looked the man.  At that statement it felt like everyone was trying to kill Kori with their eyes. Kori scanned the crowd and noted there were ten people in total all seemed to not be human. Kori clasped her knees tighter together trying to remain calm. Soon a more gentle voice that sounded like a woman's lit up the room, "She probably wants to know why she is even here." Kori looked up again for a moment and saw the woman she sat next to the snake-man she had a fan up covering her face but Kori could see piercing purple eyes and pulled back light brown hair. One man grunted before sharply turned to Kori, "Hello." Kori looked up slightly confused by the words but Kori scared herself seeing the man that spoke it. He was battled scared with dark purple hair he had horns that were cracked and scratched, he had a dark grey kimono. He seemed like he was trying to be friendly but Kori froze because the man seemed like he was about to kill her. Kori tried to conjure a response, "u-u-uumm... H--hi" Kori could hear the fear in her voice but her thought was cut short when a voice rang out from her left, "Umm would you like us to explain?" the voice, sounded more gentle but Kori was still to frightened to look up so she only nodded. "Alright then, well I best start this off" the voice said," I'm Kane" Kori looked up and say a young man with fluffy brown hair and deep green eyes. His aura seemed calm and friendly as he gave a polite smile to her. He tightened up his grey kimono as he looked over to his right, "This is Kofu and next to him is Sekki" Kori saw a pale man with long white hair and light purple eyes, he seemed to have half of a horse body. His light purple kimono swirled around his lower half. The one Kane called Sekki was the snake-man from before. "Over there is his maid Uni-Chan." Kane mummered. Kori nodded slowly as he talked, "The two little boys over there are Zenchki and Hachimistu." Both little boys gave small waves to her, one had light blue hair and small wings on his back, he stared at her with yellow eyes. Kori looked over to the next boy how was super cute, he had golden hair, large bunny ears that reached down to the floor. "Those two over there are Katisume and Allistar" Kori turned her gaze to a black haired man with narrowed flame colored eyes and a orange kimono. The other man was the one that first tried to speak to her. "And lastly... the guy that brought you here is Nanashima." Kori nodded burning the names into her brain as she found the courage to ask them, "W-why did you kidnap me?" Some of the group exchanged glances before Katisume spoke up, "That's a harsh word kitty, we had are reasons." he spoke at her in a hiss. Kori felt unnerved by him but he was soon shut up by Allistar, "You are part of a prophecy.... we had to bring you here because of that." he looked at her blankly. "What is the prophecy about?" Kori asked looking at him with curiosity. Soon everyone looked to each other with uncertainly glances. "We don't know..." Hachimistu whispered. Kori felt like her heart was being driven out of her chest. For all they know this thing could mean I die! Kori wiped a of a tear from the corner of her eye before asking her next question, "Umm where am I?" This time Sekki spoke up, "Your in the land of Ashanti and Onigiri, at the Guardian Gates where the protectors of this land live. See all of us are a protector! We all are related to some animal that is held close to mother nature. See I'm the snake, Kofu is the horse, Kane the turtle, Hachimistu the bunny, Zenchki the bird, Katisume the tiger, Allistar the dragon and, Nanashima the panther!" he finished out of breath. Kori felt shell-shocked still processing what she had just been told. Kori felt shaken to her core as Ghost place his head on her lap. From what just happened she didn't know if she was safe in this new uncertain destiny.

AS USUAL ALL CREDIT TO THE LOSTPOTATOCHIP FOR THIS PICTURE OF NANASHIMA! HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS WILL BE THE CHAPTER DOR THIS WEEK AS WELL! SO TM THERE WILL BE NO UPDATE! K thx bai.
-ICT