The Fox and the Merchant

His Eminence, Lord Tengu

Tengumaru, or Lord Tengu, as he was called by his subjects, sat cross-legged upon his dark tatami mat whilst awaiting the return of the foxy Kumiko.

He was becoming restless. Kumiko should have been back already, and his stomach had been rumbling for some time. He shifted his feet slightly and stretched his arms with a crack, assuming that he would have to leave his small castle and go hunting by himself if she did not show herself soon.

The door slid open just as he was about to stand up, prompting him to sit back down and greet his visitor in the most regal voice he could muster. "Do enter. I have been awaiting your presence."

Kumiko gave a weary nod before throwing off her latest catch and prostrating herself on the floor to show respect. Lord Tengu laughed quietly, then drew a deep breath to calm himself.

"You may rise and tell me of your find." 

Kumiko did so and kept her eyes averted whilst recounting the events of the past hour. "My Lord, this fellow here was a rōnin with no home and no ambition. I came upon him in the woods, and after making my presence known, he expressed his desire to sleep with me. I agreed, under the condition that he would disrobe first and give me some money in return."

Lord Tengu leaned his head against his hand, finding her story tedious. "So, it was an ordinary encounter?"

"Yes, my Lord," Kumiko replied meekly.

"I see. What about the money that you were promised?" Lord Tengu inquired, feeling curious whilst gazing at the rōnin's still face. 

Kumiko curled her hands up. "I... I used it to buy a new pair of slippers. You cannot see them because I left them at my house before coming here."

Lord Tengu could tell from her unease that she was lying. However, the fact remained that she had brought him a worthy offering, so he chose to overlook her tardiness this time. "I see," he said to express his acceptance. "You may leave now. I wish to eat in peace."

She gave a firm nod, then left without a further word. The door slid gently shut, and as her footsteps faded, Lord Tengu rose to his feet and crossed over to where the rōnin lay. He tapped the warrior in the chest with his foot, and suddenly, they opened their eyes before gasping for air.

"Where... where am I?" The rōnin asked frantically after catching his breath. "Who are you? What do you want with me?!"

Lord Tengu enjoyed witnessing such distress and kicked the frightened man in the side with a smirk. "What do I want? To see you suffer, of course. Are you ready?"

At that, Lord Tengu undid the spell that gave the illusion of a human appearance. His skin turned bright red, his nose grew by several inches, and broad black wings sprouted from his back. The rōnin screamed and reached for his sword, only to find in horror that it was no longer at his waist.

Lord Tengu sprung on him and, with a single lash of his sharp talons, sprayed the man's blood upon the adjacent wall.