Midnite's Daughter

by Rick Gualtieri

  It was that latter he would call upon now. They would be tasked with hunting down the transgressor. It would be a simple matter to do so. Unlike the crystals of his siblings, Ichitiro poisoned his with his own personal miasma. Though it wouldn’t kill the victim, it would stay with them for some time, allowing him to track them down long after the power of the crystal dissipated.

  Yes. His minions would find the transgressor and make them aware that none could steal from Ichitiro without paying a dire price.

  The thought pleased him, ending his rage and bringing with it cold and calculating logic. He still had another important issue to attend to, one that wouldn’t be solved by destroying his own residence.

  It was time he paid Midnite a visit. It had been far too long since he’d done so.

  18

  The first time Kisaki had been transported by a crystal had been unsettling in the surprise it brought, but it hadn’t been physically unpleasant.

  A thick black smoke surrounded them upon their arrival, wherever that was. Rather than taking in their surroundings, she found herself and Tamiko doubled over, coughing out the foul stench that was trying to seep into their lungs.

  Shitoro didn’t appear to be affected the same way, although he was certainly not happy. “What have you done this time, Kisaki?”

  “I ... cough ... didn’t do this,” she wheezed.

  “What ... is this stuff?” Tamiko choked out. “It smells like a sewer.”

  “It’s a miasma,” Shitoro explained. “I will admit, child, you surprise me. I didn’t think you capable of conjuring one. But if you think this will give you cover to escape, then...”

  “I said I didn’t do this,” Kisaki replied.

  “Well, miasma certainly doesn’t generate itself,” the tiger demon said with a sniff.

  “Could ... ugh ... we maybe move out of it?” Tamiko asked.

  “Hold on for a moment.” Shitoro reached for a small pouch at his side and then opened it. A moment later, a brisk breeze appeared around them, moving the miasma away and revealing that where once it had been night, it was now day – the early morning, it would seem. “Hmm. This is potentially troubling.”

  Kisaki stopped coughing as the air cleared, and took a look around. Gone was not only the night, but also the beach and ocean, too. They were standing along the side of a road, leading toward a collection of modest buildings far more reserved than the resort she had been staying at. There were trees everywhere, but they were different from the ones on the island – taller and with strange leaves.

  “What just happened?” Tamiko asked, her voice rising in panic. “Where are we?!”

  “I don’t know,” Kisaki said softly.

  “You!” Shitoro pointed a finger. “Did you send us without my permission?”

  “I...”

  “You had another crystal, didn’t you?”

  Kisaki shrugged sheepishly but didn’t say anything.

  “And do you have another to get us back?”

  Again, she didn’t answer.

  “Just wonderful!” Shitoro cried. “Now what do we do? That crystal you knocked out of my hand was my only spare. How do you suppose I am to return you home now?”

  Kisaki still had another, one that she intended to use to ensure Tamiko got home, but not yet. She was too intrigued as to where they were and who might be waiting for them. For hadn’t she wished to meet her father? There didn’t appear to be anyone in sight at the moment, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t close by.

  As unfair as it might be to her friend, Kisaki knew that if she sent them back now, Shitoro would retrieve his crystal and immediately transport them to the waiting punishment of her mother. She trusted that Tamiko would understand. In fact, she planned to tell her, as soon as they could find a moment alone without Shitoro to spy on them.

  Speaking of the tiger demon, Shitoro’s head turned toward the road. “What is that?”

  “I don’t hear...” Kisaki paused. After a moment, she did hear something – the hum of an engine. A car was approaching.

  Wide-eyed as Tamiko was, she spun toward Shitoro. “Quick, before they see you!”

  “See me? Who? What are you yammering on about?” the youkai asked irritably.

  “Turn back into a cat.”

  “Did your evolutionary ancestors forget to develop a brain stem, human? I am a tiger!”

  “Fine, whatever. But you’re a tiger who’s standing on two legs wearing a dress.”

  “This is not a dress, it is...”

  Kisaki understood what Tamiko was saying. In her few days on Earth, she’d seen a lot, but there was one thing she hadn’t ... youkai. Judging by the way her friend had acted upon first seeing Shitoro, she began to suspect the appearance of beings such as him weren’t as commonplace here as they once were. “Tamiko is right, Shitoro. Change back. We don’t want to draw undo attention.”

  He glared at her for a moment, but then finally sighed. “As you wish, Lady Kisaki. But know this conversation isn’t over.”

  With that, he transformed back into his four-legged white tiger form, which Kisaki was forced to admit did actually look like nothing more than a large cat. He changed just in time, as the car they’d heard rounded a corner and came into view. “What are you doing?”

  Tamiko had stepped to the edge of the road. “Stay back. I want to see if I can figure out where we are.”

  The vehicle was similar to those Kisaki had seen on the island, leading her to hope that perhaps they hadn’t gone too far. If so, then it might not be necessary for her to use up her last crystal. She might even be able to save it for a later date ... such as if she got lonely again and decided to visit her friend on Earth.

  The car passed them and she watched as Tamiko’s gazed followed. It turned down a side street a few moments later, but Tamiko continued to stare in that direction, her mouth agape.

  “I think your pet human is broken,” Shitoro commented.

  Kisaki stepped forward and put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Tamiko, are you okay?”

  Tamiko turned back toward her, her face a shade paler than normal. “Did you see that?”

  “Yes, it was a car. You showed them to me, remember? It was a pretty color.”

  “No. The license plate.”

  “License plate?”

  “It’s a tag on the front and back of cars. Tells you a few things about them, like where they’re from.”

  “Oh, so what did this one tell you? What province are we in?”

  “Not a province,” Tamiko replied blankly. “Took me a moment, because the plate was in English.”

  “English? That other language you speak?”

  “Yes,” she said, sitting down hard on the curb. “Good thing, too, because according to that, we’re in Pennsylvania.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Kisaki didn’t like the way Tamiko looked. Her eyes were bulging and she was breathing hard. She thought maybe the best thing to do would be to keep her talking. “What is a Pennsylvania?”

  “Not what,” she replied. “Where. It’s in the United States.”

  “United States. Is that far from where we started?”

  “Over ten thousand kilometers,” she said, wide-eyed.

  “Approximately twelve thousand, to be precise,” Shitoro casually added.

  “This is ... insane. How did we get here?”

  “Simple,” Shitoro replied. “Magic.”

  “But magic isn’t...” Tamiko stopped mid-sentence. “Never mind. Arguing with a talking cat that magic isn’t real is probably pointless.” She held up a hand before he could reply. “Yes, I know. Tiger.”

  “The how is not nearly as important as the why.” Shitoro glared up at Kisaki. “Well? This was your doing. Explain yourself.”

  “I ... I wanted to meet my father.”

  “So you took me from mine to meet yours?” Tamiko asked accusingly.

  “I’m sorry. I didn�
�t mean to. It’s just...”

  “We were both touching Lady Kisaki when the crystal activated,” Shitoro said. “They were designed that way for the purpose of transporting large numbers without the need for multiple charges.”

  “I didn’t know,” Kisaki pleaded.

  “Obviously!”

  “Wait,” Tamiko said. “So your father is in Pennsylvania? I thought you said you didn’t know him. How could you know where he lives?”

  “I don’t. All I know is that he’s human, and I only just found that out a few minutes ago. I didn’t even think it would work.”

  Shitoro let out a noise that was probably supposed to be a growl, but sounded more like an annoyed chuff.

  “What is it?”

  “It was me,” he said, sounding quite put out. “Your desire to meet your father, yes, but you were touching me at the time and the thought must have still been fresh in my mind.”

  “Can it work that way?”

  Despite being in his tiger form, he still managed to give Kisaki a look that conveyed how far from impressed he was with her. “Obviously. The crystals are empowered by the daimao, I might remind you.”

  “You’ve said that word before – daimao,” Tamiko said. “You mean for real, as in demons of godlike power? I thought that was just mythology, a fairy tale.”

  “As I am certain you thought talking tigers a myth, too, up until recently.”

  “Point taken.”

  “The daimao are quite real, and they are potent indeed. Even a small fraction of their divine energy possesses more magic than even the most powerful human sorcerer could hope to harness.”

  “Sorcerers aren’t ... never mind.”

  “Amazing,” Shitoro replied. “You are capable of learning.”

  Tamiko stuck out her tongue at the tiny tiger.

  “So you did know where my father lives,” Kisaki said.

  “I suppose the cat is out of the bag now,” he replied before turning toward Tamiko’s grinning face and adding, “Oh, do shut up.”

  “How?”

  “Your mother,” he explained. “As I said, I was once chief among her many servants. As such, it was my duty to know what she did, including about that particular human. She kept tabs on him for a time after your birth. I do not know many specifics of their relationship, but she seemed quite smitten with him, at least for a while.”

  “What happened?”

  “Time. The daimao have pressing concerns that require their attention, such as maintaining the order of the heavens. Their duty does not allow them to devote more than a pittance to silly things such as human affairs.”

  “But you knew.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you kept it from me.”

  “Also yes.”

  “But why?” Kisaki asked, throwing her hands up in frustration.

  Shitoro turned away from the girls, seeming to notice something else of interest.

  “Find a mouse?” Tamiko asked idly, still appearing to process things.

  Kisaki wasn’t about to let him off so easily. “Don’t do this now, Shitoro. You’ve told me this much. You might as well tell me the rest.” The tiger youkai was still silent. “If you do, I might even forget to mention to Mother that we had this talk.”

  He spun back to her, panic in his eyes. “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “If I’m going to be punished, I might as well have company.”

  Again Shitoro made a growling sound in his throat. Finally, after several long seconds of pouting, he said, “Very well, but I want your word.”

  “You have my word as daughter of Midnite and heir to her throne.”

  Shitoro snorted laughter, but then replied, “Good enough, I suppose.”

  “So why didn’t you tell me any of this?”

  “Simple. It was for your own safety.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Shitoro considered how best to explain to Kisaki the circumstances of her birth and the taboo against what were considered to be hanyou of impure stock. He began by reiterating the daimao’s overall disdain for humanity but mentioned that those on the blessed isles were considered of slightly higher stature.

  “Blessed isles?” Tamiko asked, distracted from her own despair for the moment by his tale.

  “Yes. It is where the daimao first touched down upon this planet. A series of islands they continue to favor. However, I must consider that perhaps they are misgiven about the so-called superior stock, since we somehow managed to pick you up.”

  “Ishigachi is one of them?”

  “Is that what you humans call it these days?” he replied dismissively. “But yes, that and its much larger cousins to the north.”

  “The Japanese islands,” Tamiko said. “I’ve read a bit about ancient mythology in school and...”

  “Where do you think those myths come from?” Shitoro asked smugly. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s not uncommon for lesser beings to base their entire belief system around creatures they cannot hope to fathom.”

  That seemed to answer Tamiko’s question for the moment, but then she said, “So you think humans in general are inferior, but humans from outside Japan are somehow even more so? I mean, I’m from there and even I think that’s pretty small-minded.”

  “A monkey such as yourself could not begin to comprehend the minds of the great daimao. You could only hope to... Hey! Where are you going?”

  Kisaki turned back toward them from several steps away. “You two can argue all you want, but we’re here now. Inferior species or not, I’m going to find my father.”

  19

  “Damnit!”

  Kisaki turned with a start toward her friend. “What’s wrong?”

  “My cell phone,” Tamiko said. “I was trying to call my dad, but I don’t have international minutes.”

  “I’m sorry if I scared you with ... this.” She waved her hands at the scenery around them. “It was not my intention.”

  Tamiko laughed. The initial shock had seemingly worn off, but she still looked a bit wide-eyed. “I’m more scared of what he’ll do if he sees any roaming charges. Oh wait. I think someone has an open Wi-Fi connection nearby. Let me see if I can use that.”

  Kisaki stopped and put a hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, but I promise I will get you home.”

  After a moment, Tamiko nodded. “I believe you. And, hey, magic crystals are bound to be cheaper than airfare.” She looked down at her phone, smiled, and began to type on it.

  “Wi-Fi?” Shitoro asked, still in his tiger form.

  “Wireless internet. Not quite as good as magic, but it gets the job done.”

  “What are you doing?” Kisaki asked.

  “Shooting my dad an email. I’m telling him we’re going to be spending the weekend helping you with your sick grandmother, so he doesn’t worry when we’re not there in the morning.” She looked around. “Or whatever time it is back home.”

  “I don’t have a sick grandmother,” Kisaki replied before turning to Shitoro. “Do I even have a...?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Tamiko pocketed her phone. “It’s just to buy us some time.” Kisaki inclined her head, not comprehending. “It’s like you said. We’re already here. We might as well make the most of it. I’ve never been to the United States before. So this is kind of like a vacation with friends ... and their pets. It’ll also give us time to try and find your father.”

  Kisaki didn’t know how to express her gratitude in words. Instead, she flung herself at her friend and hugged her hard. After a moment, Tamiko returned it.

  “Lady Kisaki,” Shitoro chided, “let that human go. You don’t know what kind of germs she has.”

  The girls disengaged, and then Tamiko got down on one knee before the little demon. “Don’t make me buy a muzzle for you.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Try me. Oh, and from here on out, a word of advice: I’ve never been to A
merica, but if it’s anything at all like Kabira Bay, then the cats don’t talk back.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “What does it say?” Kisaki asked. The words on the sign were a jumble to her, although she could have sworn they seemed to make more sense the longer she stared at them.

  “We’re in a town called Cartersville,” Tamiko said. “Looks more like a dump to me.”

  “Amazingly enough, I believe we have found something we can agree on, human,” Shitoro replied.

  “What did I tell you about talking?”

  “You do not tell me anything. I am a superior being.”

  “A superior being that needs a flea bath.”

  “How dare you...”

  “That’s enough, Shitoro,” Kisaki said. Despite her far greater age, she had to admit her friend knew Earth much better than she could probably ever hope to. Shitoro would sooner combust than admit it, but it was painfully obvious the same could be said of him.

  The town that lay before them was in stark contrast to the resort where she’d spent the last few days. The buildings were smaller and older looking. They were also further apart, with lots of trees taking up the excess space. She could neither see the ocean nor smell any hint of salt in the air, leaving her to conclude they were far from it.

  There was, however, lots of life here. Birds, far different from those she saw at the resort, flew through the air and, every so often, she caught hints of movement in the trees – tiny furred creatures that scampered through the branches. They paid her and her companions not the slightest heed, leaving her to conclude they were merely animals, not youkai in disguise.

  She found the lack of youkai to be curious. The histories she’d read of this planet had always included them, whether they were warring alongside mankind or against them. Yet, Shitoro aside, she hadn’t seen any, nor had she been given any indication by the humans she’d met so far that they were even aware of them.

  Kisaki wondered if something had happened, some event or plague that had either destroyed demonkind upon this world or sent them into hiding.

  Before those thoughts could be allowed to wander very far, she was brought back to the here and now by a commotion from not too far away. Kisaki turned toward the source and saw a pack of humans, all males from the look of it, with a wide range of coloring and features. It appeared as if six of the males were harassing a seventh.