The Spirit Wolf

The Temple

“Little Neko, are you there?”

Kasumi’s eyes opened.  She was still in the darkness of the abandoned temple.  Yet as she looked away to the farthest wall, she blinked in surprise.  A large wolf strolled into the temple, appearing from what had to be a gate.

“Okami?” she whispered.  She sat up and glanced at Akira, who seemed oblivious of the wolf or the fact that she stood up.  “Is this a dream?”

The wolf shrugged, its massive shoulders rippling with great muscles.  “You, of all the Neko, should know the earmarks of a dream.”

“Why do I feel uneasy here?”

“There is a curse on the temple,” the wolf said.  “Akuma came and destroyed the monks here hundreds of years ago.  That is what you feel.”

“Akuma…”  Kasumi shivered in fear.  The Akuma was the most dangerous of demons, capable of killing Neko with a broad swipe of its massive flaming claws.  “Are the demons truly gone?”

The wolf lay down in front of her.  Kasumi knelt before the great wolf as he licked his paws.  “No, not entirely.  When the demons attacked, the monks summoned all their powers.  They enclosed them here within the walls so they cannot escape.  I have come to warn you…”

###

Kasumi awoke with a gasp, her body shaking and drenched with sweat.  Akira was right beside her.

“Kasumi!  Kasumi-san!” Akira said.  “What’s wrong?”

“Akira-chan,” she whispered, burying her head in his chest, despite herself.  Gone was her disdain and anger, replaced by cold fear.  She trembled uncontrollably.  “We’re in great danger.”

A roar like a typhoon shook the temple.  Akira was on his feet, no-dachi in his hand.  Kasumi leaped to her feet as well, but she had changed into her tiger form.  The stench of demon filled her nostrils, and she nearly gagged from smelling the foul beasts.  She could not talk to Akira with normal speech, but used mindspeak to warn him.

It’s an Akuma! she shouted in his mind.  A rumble filled her throat, and she bared her teeth in a snarl.  She glanced at Akira, who stood steady.  She had to give him credit; he showed no fear despite the legends of one of the most blood-thirsty oni.

The temple shuddered and the stone walls groaned as though something huge were pushing on them.  Kasumi looked up in terror.  She doubted there was any way for them to escape before the demon sent the temple crashing down on them.

“Come on,” Akira said.  “We’ve got to get out of here, demon or no.”

Kasumi agreed.  With a bound, she made it to the door just before the demon smashed through the walls.  Akira dodged the stone as most of the temple’s ceiling and its walls crumbled around them.  By some miracle or stroke of luck, they had made it to the main threshold, only to find the rest of the way blocked.  A creature made of flame stood before them, wielding a terrible glowing blade.

Kasumi’s snarl turned into a roar.  The Akuma was an evil fire demon, the bane of many Neko.  Nevertheless, there were legends of Neko who had taken on these dangerous demons and lived.  Akira, she whispered in mindspeak.

Akira made no response.  Before she could glance his direction, the fire demon leaped on her, wielding its blade.  She lashed out at the demon with her claws and pulled back as a shock of pain ran up her legs from her sensitive paw pads.  She smelled burned skin and looked down at her scorched paw, blackened from the flame.