‘Why would she take an ōkami statue? And why the one that gave up?’ he thought.
David recovered somewhat and muttered something about Okinawa while reaching for his snowboard. He gathered the two grotesque wooden statues, looking around for a method to destroy them. One was small enough to hide in his jacket, but the larger one was bigger than a basketball.
“I won’t tell her,” Tsubasa said.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks,” David said, confused but too worried to think too deeply about Tsubasa’s words. He began the short hike to the top of the mountain. Near the top, he caught a whiff of smoke that he had missed before. Around the edge of the mountain, there was a small hut with a fire in an old oil barrel. Looking around, and with Tsubasa in tow, David dashed over to the fire, dropping the statues into it.
“We better hurry or we’ll both be in trouble. I’ll race you down,” Tsubasa called, already running for the ski lift. David ran after, catching up to him only after Tsubasa had attached his skis. “See you at the bottom.”
With a grin, Tsubasa jumped forward, dropping down the steepest part of the mountain. With a curse, David dropped his board and slammed his large snow boots into the bindings. Hearing them click, he was after Tsubasa without even stopping to attach the runaway board strap.
It was soon clear that despite Tsubasa’s wiry frame, he was an excellent skier. He flew through the icy moguls with practiced ease. He was however, human, and like most humans was concerned about his safety. David on the other hand knew that even if he smashed into a tree he could recover.
A soaring jump brought David down right next to Tsubasa as he negotiated a difficult curve. Surprised, Tsubasa swerved and almost lost his balance, but David grabbed a pole and had him righted even as they came upon a steep drop.
“You know you’re going to have to tell me about that sword of yours, right? I mean after the ghosts, the deal at the warehouse, meeting strange girls, and you chopping wolves to bits, I think you owe me,” he called.
David cringed, stopping even as Tsubasa tipped his skis down and disappeared with a smile. By the time David caught up, they were already passing the first lift exit, and entering the more populated areas around the bunny slopes. Just ahead of him, Tsubasa slid to a stop, their classmates just beginning to gather before leaving. David pushed his right foot forward, throwing up a plume of snow as he skidded to a stop, his heels balancing against the mountain.
Guilt ripped through David as Rie’s gaze found him. Her smile made him burn with dread and guilt. Tsubasa had seen the Seikaku. Then David remembered Tsubasa had also seen Manami kiss him. He could feel his face burn from more than the cold. His emotions, so strong and foreign, were so uncomfortable that Kou withdrew from his mind.
“I win,” Tsubasa said, then, in a low voice added, “I’ll keep your secret for the rest of the trip, but then I expect answers.”
Rie tried to get David’s attention, but he avoided her as their class headed to lockers to change. David explained away his lateness to Moriyama-sensei, telling him it was due to a rock and subsequent introduction to a large tree. In payment for his ripped jacket, David had to stay in after lunch while the rest of the students enjoyed another hour of skiing. David spent the time trying to figure out what to do with Tsubasa. Masao had hammered into them how important secrecy was for his survival, and in just one afternoon, he had managed to expose his powers to two teenagers.
FOG BRIDGES AND
STUDIOUS SHRINES
Even without a body of my own, my consciousness still clung to some aspects of reality. Fixed in place, it was like the personal prison I had deserved for so long. I felt every lick of the fire, yet I was unable to hide from the pain in death’s escape. Something kept me, bound me…
David and his classmates arrived at their next location after a short bus ride. The attraction was a long pedestrian suspension bridge spanning a deep gorge. Although known for its view, a thick rolling fog obscured the gift shop and ticket booths.
As their group approached the bridge, a white metal tower arose out of the dark fog with two massive cables extending to anchors on either side. Students vied for positions over gaps in the fog so they could see the stream rushing by far, far below. As they walked, David noticed Takumi edge back toward the end of their group, fading into the fog as the other students hurried ahead, eager to cross and get away from the biting cold over the gorge. As soon as it was just the two boys among the fog, Takumi smiled. An especially thick cloud of fog rolled by and when David could see again, Takumi was gone. A uniform lay crumpled on the girded flooring before him.
“Reimi is becoming a bad influence,” David muttered as he gathered the clothes and stuffed them into his jacket. “Wasn’t Takumi the one who used to harp on keeping things secret?’
‘We should have snuck off before getting on the bridge. We could go try to find a rabbit down there.’
David hurried to catch up with the rest of the students, but Natsuki found him first. She studied the gray clouds and a darker gray swept by their heads. Continuing on, they passed a guard marking the center of the bridge. Once he was out of sight, Reimi continued her aerial acrobatics overhead, making Natsuki laugh, clear and loud through the echoing canyon. Despite himself, David smiled as Reimi dived, brushing her head with a wingtip.
He was glad for the distraction, and, even more so, for the fact that Rie seemed to be too busy to notice they were gone. He was not sure he could hide his guilt and embarrassment from his ever-observant host-sister. It was different with Takumi. Despite his usual attempts at stoicism, Takumi would understand there had been nothing he could have done. Rie might not. With Kou sharing his memories, David relived the fight, the shock of the kiss, and the feelings it had brought forth in him. The surprise at having Tsubasa confront him, demanding explanations of secrets that were not his to share, troubled both boy and kami.
They made it to the end of the bridge. Their classmates huddled in groups, trying to stay warm. A few played in the open area, while others stared longingly at the bridge, their way back to the warmth of the buses. David let his classmates head back first, content to dwell on his own thoughts. He missed Natsuki, standing beside him, eying him. As soon as the other students were out of hearing, she leaned in close, pulling David toward one of the bridge pilings.
“What did you do?” she hissed. Natsuki ignored David’s shocked expression. “Come on, I was Kou’s partner. We spent so much time together I would have to be a dolt not to know your moods. Besides, we’re friends. Now, you have that I-did-something-bad look. What is it?”
Cringing at the transparency of his feeling, David asked Kou, ‘Should I tell her?’
‘She will find out sooner or later. Maybe she can give us some advice on how to tell the Matsumotos.’
‘Right, you know we are going to regret asking her for help. She’s going to lord it over us for weeks,’ David thought. Aloud he said, “It’s complicated. There was an incident on the mountaintop.”
David proceeded to tell her about the strange girl, the fight, the missing ōkami statue, and Tsubasa. At Kou’s prompting, he added, “And she kissed me. Not that I wanted her to or anything. It wasn’t my fault. Really!”
“You’re on your own with that one,” Natsuki said, laughing. “You should tell the others as soon as possible, but perhaps after the trip. We will be back on the Estate tomorrow. Just try not to give yourself away with that dour expression of yours. I’m sure, well, never mind. If it were Takumi in your place…”
For the briefest moment, David saw the hard gleam that had been so common in Natsuki’s eyes before she had partnered with Reimi. Then, they were past the guard in the center. David heard the barest flap of wings and Reimi was back on the bridge, her talons wrapping around a metal railing.
“This is going to be tricky. Natsuki, why don’t you watch our backs, I mean keep watch and David can take the other side while I transform. Just make sure you tell Takumi to hurry. And no peaking Natsu.”
Before
Natsuki could finish her swipe at the little bird, Reimi was jumping toward the floor of the bridge. Her face frozen, Natsuki had just enough time to look away before Takumi appeared with only the fog to hide him. He donned the clothes David surreptitiously threw to him.
“We need to have a chat with Reimi when we get back,” Natsuki huffed as she bowled past Takumi. With a grin, the boys followed her.
‘I’ll tell everyone as soon as we get back,’ David thought. Having decided on a course of action, he was in a far better mood. ‘I can’t change what happened. Actually, it turned out pretty well given the circumstances. They will just have to deal with it.’
‘I agree, except I still think we should take care of the nosy one.’
“You mean Tsubasa? I’m worried too… I hate having to keep all these secrets sometimes. I mean if I could just tell Jessica, things would be so much easier. With how much she talks to Natsuki and even Rie now, it’s hard not to let something slip. I’ve had to edit two of Natsuki’s notes already.’
‘You could tell her about the kiss. No secret-’
‘No way.’
Later, the thrumming beat of a taiko drum welcomed the students to their last hotel. To their right a deep river rushed by, disappearing into a distant canyon. On the opposite bank, a strange collection of buildings crouched in upon the water. David could not help but stare. He was reminded of the movie Spirited Away, a famous Japanese animation that told the story of a mortal girl who became imprisoned at the spirits’ baths. The movie’s creator had surely drawn his design for the outside of the baths from the sprawling hotels and industrial buildings supplying the hot water for what must be innumerable onsen.
Almost every student stared as the sun set and lit a multitude of small flames in the many windows among the buildings. The beating tempo of the drums changed, quickening to a more familiar and furious sound. One of the Class 2C students had taken over and started the taiko they often played at school concerts while the hotel people watched in appreciation, and what looked like a bit of fear for the drum.
The hotel Hizenya was their largest sleepover place yet. For the first time they did not have to crowd to make enough room for all the students during their initial welcoming ceremony. The lobby was a glass walled monstrosity that warmly welcomed them all. Early as it was in the evening, it took them a good half an hour for everyone to find their rooms at the far end of the hotel.
David stayed with Takumi, Naoto, Shou, and Yoshiki. Since it was the last night, their room assignments matched the performing groups for the evening’s recreation period. Yoshiki was the only one David did not know well. Quiet, the boy had not made much of an impression on him over the last eight months. They enjoyed their last bath. The facilities were separate and indoors so both boys and girls could use the full hour allotted. Dinner was a tour de force of traditional Japanese dining. By far, it was the most spectacular dinner, even after three nights of elaborate food. When even Takumi was full, the second years returned to their rooms to prepare for evening recreation.
The next day, it took all of David’s willpower to drag himself out from Kou’s feline lethargy and trod off to breakfast with the other students. They ate with the other classes and then boarded the bus for the more than hour and a half trip to their last destination. David eyed Rie and Natsuki as they boarded the bus together. He relaxed when Rie came aboard following after Natsuki laughing, and then stiffened as he noticed she was laughing along with Tsubasa, who came in just behind her.
David’s concern drew in Kou as they both speculated about what their conversation could be. The two people who knew about the previous day’s events were both uncomfortably close to Rie. Though he could not quite decide why, the thought of his host-sister finding out about Manami filled him with dread. She sat down next to him.
“Okay so what happened? It’s like you never came back from snowboarding yesterday,” Rie chided. “Natsu went through a whole story about how nothing strange is up, which means something definitely is.” She gave David a couple seconds to respond, but when he failed to, she leaned closer to him instead. “I miss training. We usually get to… Anyway you don’t usually avoid me, so what’s up.”
Around them, the rest of the seats filled up. Before David thought up an answer, the bus lurched away and the guides started speaking. David just caught a spark of hardness around her eyes before Rie took a deep breath and looked away. She started writing answers to questions in her trip book, and David got the impression she was trying to ensure her contacts did not melt away in her annoyance.
David breathed a sigh of relief. ‘She’s just wondering why I keep avoiding her… I’ll just tell her about it when we get back and things will go back to normal.’
Their last stop for the school trip was Dazaifu Shrine, a place famous for its educational protection spirits. Students from all over Japan sought prayers, luck, and good fortune by visiting the shrine, either in person or by proxy. As part of the second years’ trip, they would leave wooden tablets that had been prepared by the third years with all their hopes for their coming high school entrance exams.
After walking from the bus parking lot along a street lined with food shops, they arrived at a large red torii gate marking the start of the shrine property. Together they passed along manicured paths with ancient trees girdled by sacred ropes and paper. They washed their hands at a large spring, ladling warm water onto their palms and into their mouths to purify them before entering the shrine proper.
At the gates, they rubbed wooden bulls’ heads for luck, shiny with the polish of uncounted hands. After passing under the massive arch, they entered a wide square. The shrine was at the far end, with stalls along both sides selling fortunes and good luck charms. David and the rest of the students filed up to the Shrine to bow and throw coins. With their group activities done, they were given time to pray on their own, shop, and wave at the video cameras that were sending their pictures over the web.
Since he had not been raised in Japan, David had a different view of luck and fortunes than his classmates. Although from a semi-religious family, his father’s focus on science had left little time to instill more than the vague traditions at church. David had gotten the impression that his mother had started their going to church, and Dr. Matthews kept it up as a way of keeping alive her memory. His father had taught him enough about the world, however, to doubt luck and prayer. David and Jessica preferred to rely on their own skills and minds to find the answers to the unknown. While his friends, even Takumi and Rie, went hunting for charms to help improve their grades, David drifted, closing in on the outskirts of the square.
“I think Koji-senpai will like this one better than that fox,” Mizuki said, in her usual bossy tone. David scowled at himself for missing the class representative’s group, and backed away.
‘Better to get him one of the arrows,’ David thought as he enjoyed Kou’s visual suggestions about where and how they could deliver it.
As he turned away from the group, David found himself face to face with someone he never thought he’d see again. Manami looked just as shocked to see him, her dark cheeks reddening in embarrassment as she looked for a way out. David was beside her in seconds, her arm locked in an iron grip built from badminton and kendo. Looking behind, David saw a few others in the gray uniforms he had come to expect from the Okinawan students, those on almost the same tour as his class. Without a word, David guided her, firmly but kindly, out of the square to another smaller and empty area just off the corner. To the left was a low stone bridge and walkway, across from them a light brown and white building with a steep Japanese-style roof that stood vacant.
“Damn, damn, damn!” she said. “I should have known your class would be here too. I let my guard down once-”
“Quite the way to greet someone you left with a kiss,” David replied. He was excited, curious, and wary all at once. Too many questions burned through his mind to be coherent, so he opted for flippancy.
“I was hop
ing you’d remember that,” Manami said with a sweet and alluring smile. It was David’s turn to blush then. “Look, I’m sorry I took off like that but I was in a hurry. I mean you’re cute, I would have preferred spending the rest of the day making out with you, but I am on a school trip. And, well, you had just sliced up the three ōkami that had been hunting me.”
“Wait, you know about ōkami?” David asked.
“Sure, they’re all over Okinawa. They don’t transform much, but it’s why I suggested you visit. Well, aside from the fact I wanted to see you again.” Manami smiled and David felt his heart leap.
‘She’s distracting you. What about the statue that she took? Why were the ōkami after her in the first place? How did she know they were after her and that you could help her?’ Kou pressed, trying to pull David’s thoughts back into focus.
“Look, I’m sorry to run off but I should be meeting up with my teachers,” Manami smiled again and then her warm lips were on his mind blanking out. It was not until he noticed the hand on his arm tense that he opened his eyes again. Unlike before she had not disappeared as he feared. Instead, she stared in surprise. “Uh oh.”
David turned, following the hard focus of her gaze until he saw its target. Rie and Tsubasa stood together at the entrance to the square. Rie’s eyelid twitched, rage overcoming her features.
The smell of ozone filled the air as Rie’s hair flew out in waving tendrils. It called to mind the obake that had attacked Natsuki the previous year. The apparition’s long waving fingers were disturbingly similar to Rie’s anger. An electric surge filled the small square with a resonating power that was both oppressive and energizing. The tension in the small square crescendoed, and then disappeared in an instant. Out of nowhere, an overly large gray rabbit with beady red eyes and long yellow fangs appeared on top of Manami’s head.
Chaos erupted as Manami started flailing, trying to brush off the huge animal as it attacked her head with its powerful legs and sharp teeth. Rie stared in shock at the rabbit she had somehow summoned. Beside her, Tsubasa stared for an instant before the image of a girl running around with a rabbit on her head sent him into a fit of uproarious laughter. He looked between Rie and Manami as if he could not decide whose expression was more hilarious.
Revenge of the Akuma Clan Page 8
