by Fuyumi Ono
It was a white tree. When she had been wandering through the mountains, she had often sought the shelter of these strange trees. This tree was much bigger than those. It was no different in height, but was nearly twenty meters in diameter. At its highest point it stood maybe two meters, and at its lowest its limbs brushed the ground. The white branches bore neither flowers nor leaves. Here and there a ribbon was tied to a branch and there fruits were ripening. The trees in the mountains bore rather small fruit in comparison. These were big enough to wrap your arms around.
"Rakushun, that is a … . "
"That is a riboku."
"A riboku? Where the ranka grow?"
"That's right. Inside each of those yellow fruits is a child ."
"Wow … . "
Youko gazed at the tree in amazement. She had surely never seen anything like it back in Japan.
"You see, when you were like that, there was a shoku and you were carried off to Japan."
"I find it all hard to believe."
The branches and the fruit had the luster of polished steel.
"A couple who wish to have a child come to the shrine. They make offerings and pray that a child will be entrusted to them. Then they tie a ribbon to a branch. If the Tentei grants the petition, a fruit grows on the branch where the ribbon is tied. The fruit ripens in ten months. When the parents come to pluck the fruit, it falls. After resting for a night, the husk of the fruits breaks and the child is born."
"So a fruit just can't grow on its own. The parents have to petition first for it to happen."
"That's right. There are parents who are never rewarded, no matter how many times they ask. And parents who receive the gift almost at once. Heaven must determine whether or not they have the qualifications to raise a child."
"It was the same with me? I had parents who tied a ribbon to a branch of the tree?"
"You did. And losing the ranka was certainly a profound disappointment to them."
"Would there be any way to find them again?"
"I don't know. A search of the records might reveal the answer. If you calculated the time at which you were swept away, and then figured out the time and place where such a shoku had occurred, and then investigated all the ranka that were swept away at the same time … . It'd be tough."
"Yeah, you're right."
She was struck with the desire to search out the people who had wanted her, see what kind of people they were. Knowing that there were people here as well who had prayed for her birth finally convinced Youko of her origins. Under normal conditions, she should have been born in a place like this, somewhere in this world, in the embrace of the Sea of Emptiness.
"Children look like their parents, don't they?"
"Why would children look like their parents?"
Rakushun treated it like such an odd question that Youko had to grin. A human woman with a child who looked like a rat. There couldn't be anything in the way of genetic inheritance going on there.
"In that other world, children resemble their parents."
"Well, that's different. Isn't it a bit creepy, though?"
"Hard to say whether it is or not."
"Seems to me it'd be kinda creepy if everybody in the same household looked like each other."
"Come to think about it, you might have a point."
A young couple entered into the courtyard. They consulted together, whispering while pointing at a branch. After a moment of indecision, they tied a thin, beautiful ribbon to the chosen limb.
"That ribbon is a design of their own making. While thinking about the child they wish born to them, they choose a design they think most felicitous and embroider it into the ribbon."
"Oh." It struck her as a most heartwarming custom. "When I was in the mountains, I saw trees like this."
Rakushun glanced up at Youko. "Yaboku."
"They're called yaboku? There was fruit growing on them, too."
"There are two types of yaboku. Yaboku from which plants and trees are born, and yaboku from which animals are born."
Youko's eye widened in surprise. She said to Rakushun, "Even plants and trees and animals are born from these trees?"
Rakushun nodded. "But, of course. How else would anything be born?"
"Well, ah … . " If children could be born from trees, it stood to reason that so could animals and plant life.
"Domesticated livestock come from the riboku. Farmers petition the riboku for livestock on special days, following certain rules. In the wild, trees and plants and the beasts of the mountains reproduce on their own from the yaboku. Their fruits ripen on their own. In the case of trees and plants, the yaboku produces seeds. In the case of birds, the yaboku produces chicks. In the case of other animals, their young."
"Isn't it a bit risky for seeds and chicks and cubs to be born willy-nilly? You'd think a chick would soon become some other creature's dinner."
"The parents of animals also come to collect their offspring. Otherwise, until they can survive on their own, they live beneath the tree. That's why other creatures can't come close to the tree. Beasts who are natural enemies aren't born at the same time, and no matter how ferocious the animals might become, while beneath the tree they never fight. People who fail to get to a city before nightfall will go into the mountains and search out a yaboku. It's always safe beneath a yaboku."
"That makes sense."
"In exchange, no matter how fearsome a beast a cub might be grow up to be, it is absolutely forbidden to capture or kill one in sight of a yaboku."
"That being the case, I take it birds don't hatch from eggs."
Rakushun grimaced. "Who'd want to eat one with a chick inside?"
Youko laughed. "Yeah. I guess you wouldn't."
"Whenever I talk with you about such things, I get a weird feeling about that other world."
"I can see how. How about youma? I take it youma are also born from trees?"
"They are, naturally. Nobody has seen the tree from which youma are born, though. It's said that somewhere there are rookeries for youma. It would certainly be in such a place."
"Huh."
Youko nodded. She had more whimsical questions on the tip of her tongue, but they were of a more vulgar nature, so she thought better of asking them here. Like, exactly what kind of hanky-panky went on in the red-light districts, that kind of thing.
"What is it?"
"Oh, nothing. Thanks for bringing me here. I found it very rewarding."
Rakushun smiled broadly in return. "It looks like they're done."
The young couple in the courtyard again turned to face the tree, their hands entwined together.
7-3
Rakushun had insisted that they take a room at a proper inn and Youko had insisted that it was a waste of money.
"How could the Royal Kei even think of staying in a cheap place like this?"
"The only person saying I'm the Royal Kei is you. Because you're my friend, for the time being, I'm taking what you're telling me at face value. But at this point, nothing's been carved in stone."
"And if it were?"
"In any case, it doesn't make any difference."
"You know, Youko … . "
"Look, with the traveling money I've got, this kind of inn is within my means. We don't know how long it's going to take to get a reply from the government. If we move into some high-class place and the days drag on, we'll be out of money before we know it."
"You're the Royal Kei. You shouldn't even have to pay. To start with, what innkeeper would ever take money from a king?"
"Then better that we stay here. It wouldn't be fair to take a room and then try to skip out on the bill. And I'm definitely not going to start freeloading off people."
They ended up getting a room that could be said to be the best of the worst. It was a small, four tatami-mat room, about eight by ten feet. The room slept two. It had a window facing the courtyard. There was a small table beneath the window. It was the best they could hope for on their budget
s.
It was dusk when they returned from the shrine. First off, she used the bath in the room, changed, and then washed her traveling clothes. Hot running water every day and a fresh change of clothes, she really was in hog heaven.
She went down to the dining hall where Rakushun was waiting and they ate dinner. This wasn't some meal where you stood and ate off a cart. This was a proper dining room, and eating there was a real luxury. She slowly drank her tea, and was about to announce she was ready to go back to the room.
A scream came from outside the inn.
This was no normal scream. Youko at once reached for the sword. She hadn't shed her habit of never being apart from the sword for even an instant. She grasped the hilt and sprang toward the door. The street was in an uproar. On the street corner across the way, people were running around in a great panic.
"Youko."
"I don't believe it. They're here."
She had believed that the youma would not chase her all the way to En. And now that she thought about it, there was no reason for her to think so.
In the first place, there weren't many youma in En. Every night they got a room in an inn. They traveled only during the day, so it was natural that they wouldn't run into any youma. But she shouldn't have expected that her enemies would pursue her only in the mountains or only at night. Perhaps it was only good luck that had spared them so far.
"Rakushun, get back inside the inn."
"But, Youko … . "
The screams of the fleeing people sounded familiar in her ears. The most piercing of the cries, that was the sound of a person in mortal danger. Mingled together with the screams was that sound like a wailing baby. The cries of the youma. Youko knew it well.
She drew the sword, pressed the sheath into Rakushun's hands. "Rakushun, get out of here. I'm begging you."
He did not reply. She felt only his presence slip away from her side.
The flood of people surged closer. Youko spied in their midst a black shadow like a small mountain. It resembled a huge tiger. Bafuku, she heard somebody shout.
Youko lowered the point of the sword and positioned herself lightly on the balls of her feet. The steel blade glittered in the light from the adjacent shops. The tide of onrushing people parted to the right and left of her.
The tiger rushed on, mowing down the people in front of it. Behind the tiger was a huge creature that looked like a big bull.
"Two of them … . "
She steadied herself. She felt that long familiar sensation with something more than fear. Exhilaration. The melee of people poured out the alleyways and piled into the shops around her. She spotted a gap between her two foes. She sprinted toward them, building up momentum, brought the sword to the ready.
First, the tiger. The huge beast bounded toward her as if to pounce. She ducked at the last second and drove the tip of the sword into its enormous head. She pulled out the sword, planted her feet, plunged it in again, and then spun around to face the charging blue bull.
Their bodies were so big, cutting them down to size was going to take some effort. But there were only two of them so it wouldn't be too hard. She was giving herself some room to work with, sizing up the two of them, when Rakushun's voice echoed out.
"Youko! Kingen!"
Her eyes shot up. What looked like a flock of chickens was flying toward her. Ten, twenty, she couldn't tell how many.
"Don't let them sting you! They're poisonous!"
Youko clucked to herself in disgust. They were small, fast, and there were a lot of them. What a bloody pain in the neck. The birds' tails were shaped like ice picks. She struck down two and gave the tiger the coup de grace.
To keep from tripping and falling, she skipped past the corpses and with her back against the wall of the inn searched for better footing. She'd stuck the blue bull twice and it was in a frenzy. The cobblestones beneath her feet grew slick with the blood of the youma.
The cramped, poorly-lit alleyway, the birds gathering. No hope of assistance from the surrounding shops, save for the flickering lamplight. Beyond the muddy glow, the night was dark and deep. Before she knew it, the birds were on top of her. They fell on her, as boiling out of the blackness.
She dodged around the rearing head of the blue bull, took out another bird. She heard a multitude of cries drawing closer, sounding like the creaking of rusty hinges.
"More of them … . "
Cold sweat ran down her back. While she had been distracted by the birds, the still-not-dead blue bull had become her most immediate threat. She saw a hoard of monkeys streaming out of the mouth of the alleyway.
Her attention faltered for a moment. A moment later, a bird's razor-sharp scorpion tail was right in her face. She just managed to stumble out of the way and lost her balance. The next bird came at her, aiming straight at her eye. She knew she didn't have time to duck.
So, just how bad was this poison?
Forget about that, what about my eye?
Even if I can't see, I can fight.
I'm not going to get my arm up in time.
The thoughts raced through her head in no more than a split second.
Damn. This one's got me.
In the same instant that she closed her eyes, the bird diving toward her vanished. Someone had come in on her flank and clobbered the bird out of the sky. She didn't have the time to tell who.
The birds came at her and she slashed them to pieces. She sidestepped the charging blue bull. As she did, that same someone pierced the back of its skull with a brilliantly executed stroke. It was with such skill that the dexterity of the stroke completely distracted her. He yanked out the sword and mowed down birds descending upon them.
He was a big man, a good head taller than herself. "Don't let your guard down," he said, and dispatched the last of the birds with ease.
Youko nodded, at the same time slashing at the charging monkeys as if swatting at flies. She impaled one leaping up behind them, and quickly found herself back in the midst of the battle.
The man's skill far exceeded her own. His strength was an order of magnitude greater. The hoard was numerous, but the dead bodies piled up in the alleyway and the tempest quieted down. It didn't seem to take much time at all.
7-4
The man flicked the gore off his sword. He said, "You've got a pretty good arm."
He wasn't the least bit winded. He was a big man but not a giant. The picture of a gallant warrior. Youko looked up at him, still trying to catch her breath. He laughed. "This might not be the most appropriate thing to ask, but you are all right?"
She nodded, weakly raising an eyebrow.
"Don't have the strength left to talk?"
"Thank … you … very … much."
"It's nothing you need thank me for."
"Well, I certainly appreciate the help."
"Having youma wandering about is a nuisance. I didn't know I was coming to your rescue."
She was at a loss on how to reply. She felt somebody grab her tunic from behind. It was Rakushun. "Youko, are you okay?" Rakushun asked, stepping gingerly around the corpses beneath his feet.
She took the scabbard from him, wiped down the blade and sheathed the sword. "I'm okay. Are you injured?"
"I'm fine. Who's he?"
"Dunno," she said with a shrug.
The man only smiled. He indicated the building behind them. "Are you staying there?"
"Yeah."
Right, the man said to himself, glancing around the plaza. "People are coming. Do you drink?"
"No."
"How about you?" he asked Rakushun.
A bit befuddled, Rakushun quivered his whiskers and then nodded.
"Well, then. Let's get ourselves some refreshment. Explaining everything to the constables will be quite the bother, otherwise."
With this, he turned and strode off. Rakushun and Youko looked at each other. Spontaneously, they both agreed and ran after him.
The man pushed his way through the gathering crowds and
set off down the street. It didn't look like he had a particular destination in mind, glancing here and there as he walked along the busy thoroughfare. Finally, he decided on an inn. It was a big, gorgeous place. Tagging behind, Youko and Rakushun followed after him inside without a second glance.
Youko glanced back at Rakushun. "What do we do now?"
"What do you mean, what do we do? We've come this far--"
"That's not what I mean. There's a few things I want to talk over with this guy. Maybe you should go back to the inn, just to play it safe."
"I'm not worried. Let's go."
Rakushun clambered up the stone steps and opened the door. Youko hurried to catch up. Inside the inn, the man and a waiter were waiting at the foot of the stairs. When he saw Youko, he smiled and climbed the stairs.
The waiter showed the man to a room on the third floor. It was a two-room suite with a balcony facing the courtyard. The room was big, the interior decor exquisite. Even the furniture was sumptuous. Youko couldn't hide her trepidation. This inn was a higher class establishment than she had ever set foot in before.
The man ordered food and drink and sat down in a sofa-like armchair. He had the air of a person used to these surroundings. In the light of the countless candles, the fine cut of the man's clothing was obvious as well.
"Um … . "
The man smiled at Youko, who was standing stock still in the doorway. "Why don't you sit down?"
"Pardon me."
Youko and Rakushun exchanged looks. They both sat down. But she found it hard to settle down. The man only smiled to himself at their apparent discomfort and said nothing else. Not knowing how to respond, Youko glanced around the room. The waiter returned with the victuals.
"Does the gentleman require anything else?"
The man waved his hand and the waiter left, closing the door behind him. "Would you like a taste?"
Youko shook her head, as did Rakushun.
"Um … . " Youko didn't have the foggiest idea of how to begin the conversation. Sensing this, the man spoke first. "That certainly is a splendid sword you have there." His attention focused on Youko's right hand, he reached out his hand.
