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The spider's eyes seemed to glitter - like the eyes of an opportunistic beast - Nishi noted, before making a gesture that could be taken as a nodding head. "That would be-" it began to squeak, but was disrupted as the giant white beast suddenly threw himself off from the ground, a startled expression marring his face amused just moments ago. Leaping into the air, its piercing eyes widening with surprise, Nishibyakko almost fell into the water at the sudden movement. Where he lay was a gleaming arrow, sharpened and deadly, embedded halfway into the earth. No human could do that, not with how deep it had sunk into the hardened ground.

All around Kiyoko the spiders hissed and screeched, crowding around the miko as if to protect her, turning to look in all direction at the source of what might threaten the priestess who had blessed them. They bared their fangs and clicked together as one to sound like a singular creature - but the god knew that wasn't going to frighten whoever was targeting them.

He sniffed the air. It was like the smell of a mountain breeze - he would know, he used to govern over mountains. It was a familiar smell he would found himself surrounded by the closer he climbed mountains. Distinct from the oni, and only present within the forests. What he was most disturbed by was the lack of sound... he had not heard anything when that arrow had been fired until mere seconds before hitting its would-be target.

"Watch out!"
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Just as he heard a bone-chilling screech, the god pounced forward, body-slamming into the priestess at the same time as his fur became human flesh and bone, thus becoming a smaller target for the winged shadow, knocking the priestess off balance as well as sending some of the spiders that had gathered around her rolling away into safety - not including those that jumped and scuttled out of the way, only to run deeper into the woods where they could be away from danger but also keep an eye on this new savior of theirs.

Nishibyakko found himself pinning the girl down with his own body, but he didn't have to worry about that now. The creature that had swooped at them had crashed, but its appearance was also met with a hail of arrows that rained right where they had been mere moments ago.

Standing on its talons, the bird's wings cracked as they folded inwards, shifting into a form appropriate for a forest like this - where it could play cat and mouse all it liked, its deadly bow in hand.
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Kiyoko only had a few more moments' reprieve to ponder on the wisdom of her decision, continuing to gingerly pat the spiders when a sudden movement from Nishibyakko had her pause. There was an almost comical expression on the white tiger, all wide eyes that nearly popped from a feline face. Her amusement died a quick death when she followed his gaze to the slender shaft poking out of the ground, the familiar red feather plume of an arrow's tail fluttering, the wood still vibrating from pushing so deeply into the earth. Shit. The screeches from the spiders around her had her leaping to her feet, eyes wide as she took in her surroundings. Unlike the god, she didn't have the advantage of being able to scent out an intruder, but she had the ability to tell when a youkai was in the vicinity.

That sense was screaming alarmingly now, ringing inside her head but she could not see the youkai. She nudged aside the spiders urgently to step towards Nishibyakko when he made a sudden leap towards her. The girl had the sense not to shriek when his weight bowled her over, knocking her to the ground and rending the breath from her lungs. There was a smack from a tree root under her head that had her flinching, reaching up to grab the spot that throbbed uncomfortably. "Fuck-!" The girl's pained exclamation was cut off as she quieted down at seeing a blur crash into the tree, followed by more arrows punching into where she stood earlier. Kiyoko gulped down, slowly turning her head to look.

Is the world out to kill me today or something? For that was a mountain tengu, and it had its arrow trained on her. And the god hovering protectively over her, the tengu had aimed for him first, hadn't it? "Nishibyakko-sama," she breathed, not looking away from the tengu. Or the pointy tip of that arrow he had trained on them. Nope, not looking away. This had to be the same youkai that shot at her in the temple before. Kiyoko slipped her hand downwards towards her sleeves, even if Nishibyakko's form was still positioned over her. Reaching inside, she scrabbled for a slip of paper, or anything that could help, but it felt as if a heavy stone had dropped in her stomach when she realized that she had run out of ofuda. "Shit, shit, shit," she tried not to whimper as she realized she was out of her primary form of defense.

The spiders had all scuttled away to safety, and she couldn't begrudge them that. However, she hadn't felt their presences disappear either. But it wasn't as if they could be of much help against a fully grown youkai... Kiyoko chewed on her lip and wondered if there was actually anything she could do about this situation. Nishibyakko had brought these hunters after him, and now they were after her. This one looked different. He wasn't a human, unlike the first two she had the misfortune of encountering. And if she had any of the purifying seals on her person, she could have had a chance against it. Kiyoko wasn't stupid. The youkai probably had a way of harming the god it was after if it had the audacity to directly go after them now.

Just like the arrow you saw lodged in his back. The blood-flecked arrow head that she had pulled from Nishibyakko's back, burnished bronze in color, flashed in her memory. She could see that the same arrows the tengu was training on them were the very same color. It was unnerving to think such a weapon was able to harm someone like the tiger god, to hurt him to the point of making him lose consciousness. What do I do now? Nishibyakko was easily able to kill the two hunters that night, but an encounter against a youkai like this one was a whole other business, right?
 
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The tengu moved so fast as he fired his next arrow that the god did not even see a single bit of movement from the creature's arms. Out of instinct he flung his arm upwards, the silvery orb appearing just in the nick of time, splashing upwards and knocking the projectile out of the air. Scrambling off of Kiyoko, his eyes locked onto his weapon, a deep and threatening growl sounded from the god. Slowly, he began to shift away from the priestess - the tengu's target was him, not Kiyoko. The further away he was, the better, right?

Like the wind, the god of the west dashed off into the woods, the leaves barely disturbed despite the speed he ran off in. The youkai seemed surprise, void of motion for a split second before it gave chase, disappearing into the undergrowth with wings as dark as night flapping behind it like a shadow.

Nishibyakko could hear it behind him, even though he had a headstart. He had ran long distances before, from even scarier youkai than that tengu. Weaving in and out of the woods, memories of what had happened not long ago flashed in his mind. Arrow-ridden and bleeding golden ichor, leaving a trail of a god's blood behind in the forest of autumn trees, he remembered who had sunk those arrows into his fur and into his flesh. That tengu was something, one of the best he had seen when he had traveled to the mountains, where the oni and the tengu ran rampant. The mountain tengu were ruthless and territorial, their marksmanship was frighteningly accurate and deadly. Nishibyakko's breathing was even and he was sure he was not going to tire soon, he could already sense it's closer and closer approach.

The whistles in the air signaled the incoming arrows. He could hear them hitting the thick tree trunks, where he was just seconds before. The tengu was a few feet away, but if the god made one wrong move... he could end up like he was before he had met Kiyoko.
 
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One moment she could feel him hover over her, and the next he was gone - Kiyoko couldn't blame him as the tengu's arrow trained on him, red eyes following the god. She flinched at the threatening growl that rumbled from deep in his chest, the god looking more like a hunted animal in that very moment. "Nishi-!" He shot off deeper into the woods, the girl shouting after him in panic as the tengu pursuing him. Left alone far behind them, she watched their figures disappear into the thick of the dark forest and felt dread creep up her back. It was getting dark, she had no natural advantage as a human against the cloak of night compared to a tengu and a kami. No torch, no fire to light the way. And no time to certainly make one. Her god was running through those very trees at this moment getting arrows shot at him...

She got up to her feet with a wince, feeling the back of her head. There was a bump somewhere, but it didn't seem to cause her any unwanted dizziness. Good. I'm about to do something incredibly fucking stupid and I don't want to go in there wobbling on my feet. Inhaling deeply the chill night air, she suppressed a shudder and let her eyes wander the darkened area. "I need your help, young spiders." They hadn't left yet, and if she thought about it, she could feel hundreds of little eyes watching her this very moment. "If we are forming this bond, help me go after them! I need eyes that can see in the dark and silk to bind the enemy." These little spiders were just perfect for the situation.

There was a flash of little red eyes in the corner of her eye. She turned, looking expectantly at where she swore she could have seen a spider. Her ears caught the soft sounds of clicking. Now what? Another flash of red eyes and rapidly moving spidery legs on the ground, another series of clicks. She saw it move towards the direction where Nishibyakko and the enemy had left, and tentatively followed after the spider. Something brushed against her foot and she almost jumped, if not for catching sight of another spider peering up at her.

More and more of them appeared, some in the front ahead of her and some drawing near her before receding to let her walk the forest path. She had to rely on the sound of their clicks in front of her as the sky had rapidly darkened into night, and after some hesitation, she started to run. The spiders ahead of her sped up, clicking to make sure she followed, and the girl and her newfound allies started pursuing Nishibyakko and the tengu.

I hope he isn't hurt.
 
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One thing Nishibyakko knew about tengu was that once they had their bodies pinned to the ground there was no much they would be able to do. However, that in itself was going to be difficult, considering it was flying at him at top speed, firing arrow after arrow that was just short of hitting their target. He was relying on the trees around him as shields, ducking and weaving, making sharp turns around the overgrown roots and the vines that hung above them to slow down his attacker. But a tengu, and a mountain tengu at that, knew forests well, and they did not pose as much as an obstacle as the god would have liked.

Gritting his teeth, the god made a sharp turn, almost sliding on the ground horizontally to avoid a hail of arrows that landed on a nearby thick tree trunk, one of them snapping another arrow in half. He heard a noise of annoyance from the youkai, who charged at the slowed-down Nishibyakko with one arrow knocked, the arrowhead glinting in the dim forest light. As it fired it soundlessly, the god of the West brought his arm up once more, liquid metal quickly slicing the weapon in half before the god threw himself forward, surprisingly his assailant.

With a roar, he became bigger, fur sprouting from the god, canines growing to fearsome fangs. The white beast knocked the tengu back, who squawked as the large cat sent it crashing to the ground under its weight. Powerful paws pinned down the wings of the youkai, snarling down at its red long-nosed mask with malice and hatred. Drool dribbled down from the god, trickling down onto the youkai that twitched and cringed at the sensation. "WHO SENT YOU HERE, YOUKAI?" the god bellowed. "WHO DARES TO DEFILE MY LAND, AND ATTACK THE EMBODIMENT OF THE WEST ITSELF?"
 
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And for the second time in a month, Kiyoko found herself running like her life depended on it. Rather, like her god's life depended on it, but who was she kidding? Nishibyakko was more capable of defending himself than she was with her own life, yet she still found it in herself to feel concerned about this chase. There was something about that mountain tengu that had her uneasy for the god, and she found herself going for him anyway. Even if he probably went and ran far away from her location because he knew he was the one being pursued and she didn't have to place herself in harm's way. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The spiders were taking bewildering turns and she was scrambling to keep up and not stumble on a stray tree root or branch - yet she found herself nearly face planted in the ground more than a few times.

Honestly, humans weren't supposed to run in the dark woods at night. And those fuckers ahead of her ran fast. How was the supposed to keep up with a kami and a youkai?

Unless, of course, the two ended up confronting each other instead of going on a merry chase anyway.

The priestess's breath came in short pants as she burst past the cluster of low bushes, brushing off the leaves sticking to her clothes carelessly as Nishibyakko let out a great bellow that had her hairs standing on end. The spiders ahead of her had come short beside her, unwilling to step closer to an angry kami. Her eyes instinctively sought out the god's form first, landing right on the snarling face he wore, saliva dripping from his maw as he bared his teeth at the tengu. The tengu which was flinching away from the tiger as he brought his face down low towards it.

Her mouth opened but no sound came out, the girl working her jaw for a moment at the sight. Kiyoko looked like she was about to scowl and huff at the god, but the chance didn't come. Eyes widening in alarm, she waved her arm jerkily and cried, "Nishi - look out-!"
 
Both the god and the youkai looked up - or rather, the tengu tilted its head back to see who had spoken - and blinked at the priestess blankly for a split second before the latter wriggled out of the god's grasp. There was a sickening crack sounding through the forest as the creature ripped its wings from under the beast's paws, lunging straight for the miko screeching in both fear and for intimidation feet first, its talons out and curved, sharp enough to be able to slice into the young girl's flesh and rip a good chunk off when-

The god threw himself forward with a roar, snarling as he reached out for the crumpled wings right in front of him, before his back paws propelled Nishibyakk - flinging up a hunk of earth as he did so - towards the youkai posing as danger to the miko that served under his name. Just as the tengu was about to wrap its talons around the girl, a hoard of spiders leapt out from their hiding spots, from the rocks and trees they had taken shelter in. Before, it looked like they had abandoned Kiyoko when the youkai appeared in fear, disappearing into the darkness of the forest. But in actuality, those that had not been leading the miko had watched her, unsure of what to do, but never having thought of leaving their savior behind.

Feeling that she was being threatened as Nishibyakko also experienced, the spiders jumped up as one, flipping to shoot out strings and strings of silk that wrapped around the bird like pale ribbons. Others climbed onto the monster, bundling it with the white strings, biting at its torn wings. It would have distracted it enough for the girl to move aside, away from the deadly grasp of the youkai.

At the same time, the god once again crashed into the tengu, scattering the little arachnids. This time, the white beast of the West was no in mood for question. It raised one paw and brought it down, slashing the front of the tengu, spilling scarlet blood that quenched the thirst of the earth. Simultaneously, the youkai, with an arrow in hand, swung and embedded it into the flesh of the god - who howled in pain as the arrow sunk into his sides.
 
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It turned out that it wasn't Nishibyakko that had to look out - it was Kiyoko herself. She had thought the youkai would take the chance to squirm out of the god's grip and attack him, but against her? The sickening crack rattled through the area just as the tengu heaved itself right out of the tiger's paws and towards the priestess, whose eyes widened at the sight of the deadly talons. Fuck -Stumbling back in a hurry, the priestess felt her axis tilt and shift precariously and her ankle catch on something behind her. Down the girl went, catching herself on her arms with a painful jolt. It didn't stop there, the actions very much like a landslide caused by a mere rock rolling down and disturbing the rest of the large boulders, catastrophic and unstoppable. The white tiger roared out as the tengu was about to swoop down upon his follower, but it wasn't about to stop the archer...

Kiyoko flinched into herself, closing her eyes tightly as she felt the gust of air, about to be followed by sharp talons. "I'm so stupid!" Instead of feeling a chunk of herself getting ripped out, the tengu responded with another shrill, ear-piercing screech as strings of white forced its claws away. Her eyes flew open at the painful sound, fearfully locking on the gigantic bird monster writhing above her. It was so close that if she reached up the claws could still graze her, its shrill shrieks even louder this up close. "Hah-" Crawling away backwards, she noticed the dark and furry little spiders that started swarming across the feathered beast.

Blood splattered across the spiders and the miko, coating them in sticky red fluid. A large gash opened up on the bird youkai's front, spurting red on the earth and splashing over Nishibyakko. And gold exploded from the tiger god's side as the glinting end of an arrow tore through fur and skin. Kiyoko yelled out at seeing the arrow stuck in his side, her own voice drowned out by the positively tortured howl ripped from the kamis own throat.

"Get away from him!" Her body didn't feel like her own. It didn't feel like herself as she somehow hauled herself to her feet and lunged for the youkai, searing heat in her palm. It didn't feel like her own doing as the sword that was both her treasure and her worst enemy stabbed through the tengu's face, splattering blood and bone and bits of brain all over the ground.

The tengu convulsed as the final dredges of life drained out of it, before its hand loosened around the arrow it had dug into the god's side. Kiyoko stared, half in a dazed state, at her own hands that were gripping the sword handle so tightly, knuckles white, down to the slender blade protruding from what was once a living head. With a stilted, jerkily executed movement, she yanked the sword back, spraying more blood on herself and the spiders around her.

"Are you alright?" Jerking her head to face Nishibyakko, walked around the corpse between them without turning to look at it. There was still something that needed to be looked after. Her eyes raked the white tiger's body until it found the patch of sticky gold blooming from a protruding arrow, before she uttered, "Should I attend to it in this form or your human one?" Don't think about it.
 
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The tiger silently crawled off of the youkai, making deep whimpering groans as he did so. He was finding it difficult to get his back legs to cooperate, heaving himself away from the tengu to a nearby patch of grass, where he collapsed into a heap of fur and bones. Black nose twitching, ears flicking, his chest heaving slowly and heavily, the beast's eyes seemed to be entering in and out of focus. Nishibyakko's breathing was abnormal, changing pace every few seconds, his body was flushing hot and cold in intervals. The arrow had been tipped with some sort of poison or hallucinogen, typical for the weapon of a mountain tengu - as it was the only way to fell oni with their powerful strength. The white beast's eyes rolled backwards, sinking into unconsciousness, as muscles spasmed unnaturally out of his control.

Slowly, painfully slowly, the god of the West began to change back. It looked painful when one had to stand there and watch him take the form of a being much smaller than what he really was. Fur shrinking back into his body, his skin changing color into one of a human mans, everything about him seemed to be swallowed up by this mortal shell, until he lay there, clothes torn and ragged and coated with golden ichor - blood of the gods. The arrow was still impaled in his body, which had a film of cold sweat. His skin was clammy and cool to touch, eyes glazed over seeing something nobody else could. The breaths he did manage to take were raspy and strange, like the sound of a snake hissing.

Somewhere in the horizon was the kingdom in the clouds. Sitting by a round table sipping on sake that no human lips could ever touch were four young men. A man with long white-blue hair, a charming and curious smile dominated his face. Beside him, playing a game of shogi was a male with long black hair, as dark as night. Across the table were two others, fighting over a cup of the alcohol. A man with a rat-tail that flowed behind him like a tail, and one who had short hair - the shortest among them all - with a scowl and flames surrounding him like will-o-wisps. There were ladies and men dressed in fine clothing all around them, laughing and smiling like they did not have a care in the world. A woman with hair like ripe peaches, smoking a golden pipe, winking as men walked by. Contrasting her was a man in armor, a pagoda in one hand and a spear in another - he looked as if he was ready for battle. Even though there were so many personalities up in the clouds, bickering was never too severe. Such a peaceful place for the gods to roam.

A voice seemed to be whispering to him. It reminded him of the girl who preferred to lock herself in the palace, working on her loom. She was a good weaver, and despite her work she had beautiful and elegant hands. So unlike his, a blacksmith who made swords. They were opposites when it came to their craft. But this was the same person who had taught him how to make something so beautiful, so fragile, with these rough blacksmith fingers...
 
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Kiyoko's own breathing was evening out, the spurt of reckless abandon that let her slaughter the tengu earlier draining out. She rushed up to Nishibyakko with a still oddly placid look on her face, hurrying as she heard him whimper. With a hiss, the sword liquefied in her grip and slithered deep into the opening in her palm once again. "Nishibyakko-sama!" Falling to her knees beside him, she reached out tentatively to touch the massive tiger. He was breathing slowly. A bit too slowly and unevenly. The priestess swallowed, more of her normal self coming back to her. "Nishibyakko-sama? Nishi?" Panic was soon replacing the earlier shock at seeing her own action.

"Nishibyakko!" The girl cried as his eyes rolled skywards and his body fell into a dead slump, grabbing at his fur and tugging uselessly. She felt a muscle twitch and spasm under her palm, the god's body wrought with shivers. His fur started receding, forcing her to let go of the clumps of white strands in her hands. Instead, she let her hands hover over his form, her red eyes flickering with worry. What was happening to him? Fur and tiger's flesh, right before her very eyes, melded into that of a man's smooth pale skin, slicked with a sheen of sweat. And it happened so painfully slow. Even the girl could tell that a transformation like that was not his own doing, his body being forced into another form while there was still an arrow. Buried in his side.

Once the god completed the shift from tiger to man, Kiyoko bent over him and grabbed his face in her hands. "Shit. Shit shit shit." His eyes were glazed over from what she could see in the dark, he wasn't even seeing her now. Now I kind of wish he would just look and glare at me. An asshole Nishibyakko is better than an injured one. His breathing was shallow, weak puffs of air against her face. There was a cool sweat sticking to her palms where she was holding the sides of his face. "The arrow-"

She cursed and pulled back. "Fucking hell!" Should she extract it? He told her that some arrows, some weapons from those who hunted him, had the capability to harm him. Was this what was happening now? But he wasn't like this when I first found him. But what? Wouldn't pulling it out tear his wound more and hurt him further? But what if the arrow head was the one causing his spasms and - and - "What do I fucking do?!" Her cry went unanswered, the only thing returning was the worried clicks and murmurs of the spiders.

"Miko-sama... Maybe he was poisoned." A high, timid voice suggested. One of the spiders drew close to Nishibyakko warily, noticing the panicking state the priestess was in. "We should remove it."

Kiyoko slapped her palms against her cheeks, shaking her head. "Get ahold of yourself." She had a patient to tend to, this one being her patient for the second time already. She turned to the spider beside her. "Can you give me more of that silk after I remove it?" But this silk couldn't be woven into bands yet. She had no cloth on her to bind his injury. Unless. With a tearing noise, the girl ripped her left sleeve off her arm. "I'll need it to tie this up around him."

"Lighting, lighting, how can I see what I'm doing... Wait, what's that?" A gentle orange light, like from a fire, shone somewhere above her head. Kiyoko tensed, wondering if this was another youkai or monster. But there were no growls or feelings of danger. She squinted as the light grew closer. It radiated only enough to light up the area around her and let her see. And it was gently waving back and forth, back and forth... Was that a feather? "What's a feather doing here?" A glowing feather. Somehow, the miko thought blankly, that wasn't the most outrageous thing too happen today. (And somewhere in the heavens, a certain phoenix screeched bloody murder in indignation towards an innocently smiling dragon.)

As if it was perfectly natural for it to be doing so, the feather drifted idly downwards, and onto the ground beside Kiyoko. It shone a brilliant red that bordered on orange. "... Um. I'm not mistaken, am I. Thank you, Minamisuzaku-sama..."

The spiders themselves looked like they didn't know what to say.

Well then.

Kiyoko got to work. With no knife on her, cutting an incision around Nishibyakko's arrow wound was more challenging. Another spider was sent skittering away into the forest to look for a somewhat sharp rock. "I'm sorry." It had to be said, even if he was unaware of her talking to him. She winced at the blood that poured - golden in color - on her fingers as she did a rough work on widening the opening to pull the arrow head out. "Please, please tell me you're going to be fine. Damn it." The torn sleeve of hers was further torn into a long, somewhat rectangular white sheet. She maneuvered him - with no small effort - into a sitting position against a tree trunk, pulling the makeshift bandage taut around his abdomen. Then she tightened it...

 
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It seemed like yesterday when he had met her, sitting all by herself in an empty room, accompanied only by the candles that surrounded her as she worked. Outside the gods drank and dined with joy, shouting for more food, asking for songs and dances to be performed - with the gods and goddesses of pleasure and entertainment doing what they did best as they did their craft. Nishibyakko, having wanted some peace and quiet, had ducked into that room, hoping there would be no one else inside. It was strange, considering he had never seen the goddess before, at least not long enough for him to recognize her.

Why was it that Amaterasu's sister went unacknowledged despite her skill with weaving? She could fix anything, and he watched as the goddess of the dawn plucked what looked like solid sunlight, sewing his ragged clothes together in mere seconds. She seemed so demure and calm about everything, but the god of the West sensed quiet confidence in her... at least when she was alone. An introvert, she was, who disliked going outside. Nishibyakko always thought it was because she was overshadowed by her sister.

Nishibyakko took a long time to realize why he was spending so much time with her. Despite her blood and relation to the mother goddess herself, the weaver of the sun was considered a minor god. He, on the other hand, was a major god. He found himself visiting her often, or trying to coax her to go outside with him. She showed fascination when he made a sword in front of her very eyes, and she in turn showed him how to use a loom. The rhythm and sound of the loom at work brought Nishibyakko comfort, it was constant and never changing, stable and a symbol that all was going to be good. And that was what he had first thought with their relationship. Stable. Everything was going to be good.

But a god cannot read the future.

"Waka... hirume..."
 
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"Waka... hirume..."

At first she thought it was just a murmur of the wind, low and rasping. Maybe it was just her imagination that words were being formed, since who else was with her but a god that was out cold? She continued on wrapping the thick cotton of her torn sleeve until it was pulled taut and snug around the pale abdomen, before the voice continued again. And her eyes moved upwards to his rising and falling chest, up his neck, and she saw it. His lips were pale, lacking the usual hint of color that a healthy person had. Her work halted; the girl realizing that she was hearing... A word. A name. Repeatedly tumbling in disconnected syllables from his lips.

Waka...hirume? Blinking in confusion, Kiyoko narrowed her eyes at the look that had taken up Nishibyakko's face. It was so unguarded. It almost took her breath away, to see him look even less barbed than that day. That day when sake had left him dozing even in her presence. His features were softer than she had ever seen on him on a good day... And that word, that name, was repeated again and again among other soft, disjointed phrases. There was something about the way that he said the word, that made her heart hurt.

He sounded like such a sad person.

She shook her head at the thought. Leave the man to his own mind. It wasn't her business, though Wakahirume was starting to sound more and more like a lament to her ears. At least he was better than earlier, when the arrow was still stuck in him. Kiyoko murmured, "What am I going to do with you, idiot god?" Brow furrowing, she reached out and brushed back a sweat-slicked lock of hair stuck to his face. He was such a confusing god, a confusing man. He scorned humans for moments of foolishness and emotion, yet he had emotions. "For such a powerful person, you sure require a lot of caring for. How did you manage without someone?" A small smirk crossed her face, and she sighed.

The spiders handed over finely threaded strings of silk to her, one that would cost an entire month living on rice if the miko guessed. She shrugged and wordlessly wound it around his waist, having slid off the tattered remains of his kimono of his shoulders. "We need to find a shelter for the night," she informed the spiders, and with a few clicks, some left to seek out a place to stay. "And can some of you... Find a way to get some water?" Picking up the water skin that Nishibyakko carried around with him, she threw it to their expectant arms to grab. "Fill it up... Thank you," the girl thanked them softly.

With the spiders seeking shelter for them and water from the stream they passed earlier, Kiyoko settled against the tree trunk beside Nishibyakko. He was still shuddering slightly, a fact that made her lips thin from worry. His kimono had been ripped, and he had gotten his golden ichor blood stained on the fabric. This feather though. It's warm. It provided more than just light. She hesitated for a moment, before scooting closer. Her bare shoulder brushed against his arm, before she reached out to hold the radiant feather between them. Please find shelter soon.
 
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No doubt did Nishibyakko and Wakahirume have good times together, much to the surprise of the former. Life as a blacksmith was the same everyday, waking in the early hours to perfect one's craft. He oversaw all the forges in the kingdom and beyond, and blessed the nation with good luck when it came to mining and finding ores. Sometimes villagers would find gold while plowing their fields, and they would leave a small nugget for the god of autumn as an offering and thanks. He remembered those times, where things were easy and carefree. He lived to bring autumn, he lived to watch over the masters of metal and minerals. Now he was a runaway, a fugitive that all the gods whispered about. In disgust? Pity? Nishibyakko really wondered if he cared about those gods. Gods were just as complicated as humans.

Especially that Susanoo. The brother of the goddess they called mother was far too boisterous to have been created by the same person. The other brother and her husband was always the sensitive one, most of the time. Nishibyakko had never liked the god of storms, and how he reigned over discord and chaos when he brought raging storms over to the people for the smallest of reasons. His temper was even more fearsome than Minamisuzaku, the latter even taking his time to avoid the wrathful god. The four directions could say nothing to him, and that was how the heavens worked.

Even so, Nishibyakko never minded the presence of the storm god too much, when he had a more kind and understanding goddess to be around. Wakahirume did not detest him either - she never detested anyone - and did not chase him away like the others tried to.

Nishibyakko remembered that night as if it had happened yesterday. She had done nothing wrong to the storm god, and had done nothing to enrage him. Screeching as he entered the domain of the gods, his anger causing the usually white fluffy clouds above them to darken and spark with thunder and lightning. He remembered a yell, splintering doors and handmaidens scattering from the palace of the gods. He remembered how much his chest ached when he saw Wakahirume stumble out as her workplace was smashed to bits, losing her balance before tumbling down through the clouds, too fast for anyone to have saved her.

...

His face contorted into one of sadness, anger and despair, emotions he had felt so many times yet still had such an impact on him. But this time, there were no more tears for the god to shed.

The god instinctively leaned towards the warmth radiating from the feather, unknowingly sliding down the tree trunk and resting quite uncomfortably against Kiyoko's shoulder, though his shift in position did not wake him up. Perhaps he was seeing something else entirely in his mind's eye, those days where he would take Wakahirume to the gardens of the heavens, where grass and trees remained forever evergreen and the flowers never wilted. The trees were always brimming with fruit, so many that the branches would be bending down due to the sheer weight of them. When was the last time he had taken her there and rested under the trees, surrounded by the aroma of flowers and ripened fruit? The god of the West, leaning against the shoulder of the weaver, who of course had brought something to embroider. A handkerchief for her partner, maybe, painstakingly stitching the stripes of a fearsome white tiger dozing under the sun in a field of flowers.
 
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Only the sounds of the forest at night kept her company, if one didn't count the low rumblings and murmurs that were spontaneously leaving the god beside her. Nocturnal birds caused leaves and branches to tremble and brush against each other, an owl's cry heard off somewhere in a distant part of the wood. Kiyoko was a bit glad that there were still spiders who kept an eye on her and the kami. The forest was a bit unnerving at night. It wasn't her forest near the temple grounds, after all. Once or twice she could see small, childlike figures pale as milk weaving through the darker parts of the forest, giving off a soft glow. Or one of them staring at the miko curiously, letting out the odd noises she came to associate with kodama. She smiled briefly at them. Now that the threatening presence of the tengu was gone, it looked like they wanted to come out and explore the strangers in their glade.

A movement from the man beside her caused her to go still, head turning to watch him. Her eyes lingered on the anguished look on Nishibyakko's face, the sight causing her own lips to curve down. Kiyoko thought it made him look more approachable, and less like the haughty and arrogant man he could be. Or the bitter man that she knew she saw when he thought she was patronizing him by speaking of homes. His face was much more open this way, but at what cost? She felt like she needed to smooth away the agonized lines on his brow. As curious as she was to learn about him, she never wanted to see him this way.

Just what caused that look on his face...

"Hah?"

He tipped forward, bringing the distance ever smaller. Kiyoko froze like a caught deer as his head fell against her shoulder. "N-Nishi-" She wavered between shaking him awake and letting him be. The warm weight on her shoulder was just foreign, and she knew if he was aware of what he was doing, he would either sneer in annoyance or further mock her. He would probably do a mixture of the two. With that realization, the girl swallowed and turned her head, looking off into the forest instead of at the god. It was only natural, she told herself. He was seeking some warmth and comfort, and it was her choice to sit close to him. "What are you, stupid?" Irritated again, she wanted to kick herself.

"Oh kami, please let them find a cave or something already..." The miko groaned to herself, holding still and hoping that Nishibyakko wouldn't wake up or something that would just be as embarrassing. Why did it have to be the side where her arm was bare? His hair tickled against her shoulder and skin, and the thought of it was just as mortifying. He was close enough to cause goosebumps on her flesh. Then again, he might be too delirious to realize the person he was snuggling up to was her. Did he think she was someone else?
 
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"Waka... hirume..." he mumbled, twitching against Kiyoko's shoulder. "... I'm sorry." He was sorry for not being there with her, if he had, she might have survived that day. If he was closer to Susanoo, he might have been able to help calm him down. Instead, he was off to the side, on the way to the palace, frozen in shock when the god of storms made his appearance and wrecked havoc in mere seconds. It angered his sister immensely, but Nishibyakko never saw her do anything about the death of her own relative. It angered him, why would she do that, how could she have no reaction to such an event whatsoever? The mother of gods and goddesses? What a pathetic ruler god, he had no qualms about spitting on her little effigies.

He blamed himself for not being able to help her, but he also blamed the others. Nobody had moved to save her when she plunged, Nishibyakko had tried but she had fallen too far and was going too fast for him to stop her. Surely there would have been someone, some god out there who was faster and more powerful than he was. Surely they could have saved her. But no, the gods were merely followers of their so called 'fate' and 'destiny'. Nature's way, they called it, that it was destined for the weaver to die.

Pathetic.

The anger was rolling off of the god like an aura, like a ghost of the past that was refusing to let go of the god. Just thinking about the accident, no, the murder, was enough to make the god seething. It was a shame that that great serpent didn't manage to eat Susanoo alive, it would have made Nishibyakko's job much easier. If he ever appeared in front of him again, it would mean a battle to shake the earth itself.
 
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"... I'm sorry."

With how close his head was to her, tucked away on her shoulder like it was its rightful place... Kiyoko couldn't not hear that apology, following another murmur of that name. Wakahirume. It was such a confusing puzzle that she knew she couldn't figure out on her own, not without the right clues. But she wouldn't dare ask him something that hurt him so much. The girl wouldn't want anyone to force her to divulge things about herself, either. Because you have something you have to hide. His is hurting him. She froze as he twitched against her shoulder, once again trying not to move too much. What was she supposed to do in this situation? Part of her wondered if it was even right for him to seek comfort, no matter how unaware he was, from a human follower like this. It felt like he was crossing boundaries, invisible lines that shouldn't be breached. Yet Nishibyakko never gave a damn about that shit anyway.

"What are you sorry for?" It escaped her before she could stop herself, a quiet murmur against his ear. She cursed inwardly. Me and my big mouth. When was it her business? But that sorry. It sounded like something he had said countless times, worn down so much that the words physically pained him to say. Because no matter how many times he said it, nothing could be done about what happened. The past had happened... And even gods couldn't change fate, or something like that. So much regret in only a few words. So much despair. It was disturbing. She wasn't supposed to see this, yet she was dragged into it as a spectator.

And a listener. She couldn't help but listen, and wondered why. They were strangers. He didn't know about her. Or why she was exactly feared and yet loathed so much by the villagers. Yet he still defended her today. And she felt like she owed him. Who exactly had the debt here, between the two of them? She, who saw him unconscious and bleeding that day? And the one who tried to take care of him despite the way he lashed out? Or him, who saved her from certain death from two hunters... And kept her company. Who taught her how to cook some dishes that were actually better than she could ever have come up with.

He was... Angry. She could hear the change in his breathing patterns, his breaths growing more deeper... Yet ragged. A growl accompanying them. Kiyoko tensed, wondering if this meant he might lash out in his sleep.

A rustle in front of her caused her to look up, and she noticed that the spiders she sent out for water had come back. "Thank you," she quietly said once again as one of them came to hand it over. It looked like the spiders also could tell that she didn't want to move from her precarious place beside the kami. But now... Taking a deep breath, she turned and reached to grab his shoulders.

She had shifted her legs so that she was kneeling, and maneuvered his head onto her lap. He was slightly elevated so that she could let him drink properly, opening up the water skin and tilting his head with one hand behind, cradling the back. "Drink," she murmured, even if he couldn't hear it. Parting his lips with the mouth of his own water skin, she tried her best not to let too much water spill, pouring a small amount into his mouth and watching as the god reflexively swallowed. Once he had swallowed a mouthful, she poured more once again, repeating the process. And repeating it again. He had to dilute the poison in his blood with more water.
 
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Eventually, the god could swallow no more, and the water overflowed from the man's mouth as he coughed and hacked anything that might have slipped into his airway. His chest heaved, allowing his breathing to even out again after Nishibyakko calmed down. His eyes remained closed, but the anger that had been boiling within him slowly subsided, cooled after drinking the fresh water the spiders had found.

They slowly approached the duo, getting close but not too close to frighten the miko. Their eyes - beady little eyes that had no pupils and were one solid color - blinked at the girl before looking curiously at the man. Even at birth, they would know who this man really was. Not a man, but a god. The ichor would have been enough to clue even the clueless and the stupid of these youkai. Golden blood meant bad news for youkai, it means that the slightest wrong movements and actions could mean instant death, smited by the gods.

Slowly, after a few moments of silence, the god's eyes flickered. They opened once slowly, before they shuttered closed again. Nishibyakko took a deep breath before he opened his eyes drowsily, the cloudiness of his pupils disappearing and fading away slowly. There were shadows under his eyes, and his veins were too dark against his pale skin, evident of the poison in his system. That would take time to pass out of his body.

As he blinked away the drowsiness and dizziness, his vision focused on the miko, the god now aware he was now laying down with his head on her lab. No wonder he was feeling warm and cozy. Immediately, he sat up, bolting upright swiftly before he groaned in pain at the quick movement. "Shit," he muttered, looking up and down and around his surroundings as he also took notice of his bandages and wound.
 
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With gulp after gulp, Kiyoko could tell that his consciousness and what little of his strength was returning... She immediately drew back the skin after he started coughing, supporting him and resting her hand on his chest. His heartbeat was reassuringly strong, despite the flush still high in his cheeks. Looking down at him, the priestess watched as the anger smoothed away from his face, his breathing evening out after he had his bout of coughing. It couldn't be helped as she was just trying to get him to drink while he was unconscious, but she still felt a pang of guilt at seeing him hack up water that had gotten into his airways.

She could see the spiders now approaching at the sign of him getting better, though they remained at a distance. They were wary of Nishibyakko, more than they were of her. Blinking at them, she shrugged one shoulder and looked sharply back down as she felt Nishibyakko stirring. The water had done him good, apparently. Giving the emptied skin over to the spiders once more, she quietly ordered them to retrieve more water. The kami would have to drink waters at intervals over the night to flush the poison from his system, his veins still darker than normal.

Watching as the god's eyes flickered open, she felt herself relax as the distinctive lavender of his irises appeared once again. The way he looked so drowsy and confused was almost amusing, if it weren't for the situation. She half-expected him to pounce her like he had the first time, but he had... Learned his lesson. Hopefully. Kiyoko wasn't in the mood to get the living daylights scared out of her again, it had happened too many times today already. "Welcome back to the land of the living," she murmured, sardonic, as he blinked slowly, repeatedly.

There was a moment as his eyes finally focused enough on the girl's face to realize it was her. Kiyoko almost tensed as the sharpness - though not as much as usual - returned to his gaze, but didn't draw back. "Careful!" She grabbed his shoulder after he sat bolt upright, catching the swaying in his movement. "Don't move too suddenly," she chastised, clicking her tongue and frowning at him. Seriously, with his age and experience he should have known not to give himself vertigo by moving so soon. "You were poisoned."

As he looked down on his bandages, she drew back self-consciously, rubbing her hand over her bare arm. That was one of her uniforms gone again. "... You need to drink more water, you'll experience dizziness and disorientation throughout the night until the poison is flushed from your body." She had no idea what poison the tengu used... And antidotes weren't the same as medicine, exactly. Kiyoko wished there was more she could do, but she could only really watch over him as the poison passed out of his system. "So you need to lie down as well." She coughed as she stood up, crossing her arms. "So stay down." The miko said this firmly, punctuating her words with a scowl. "I'll tie you to the tree if I have to." Lifting the remainder of the strong spider silk up, she arched a brow at him. He would only harm himself further by trying to move about. "We'll go to whatever place they find for the night."
 
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He blinked at the miko before he reached down to touch the bandaged wound, wincing as he did so. The spot was marked with a small round patch of ichor, soaking into the bandage, glowing gold against the fabric. He looked around, gauging his surroundings, and seemed to visibly relax when he knew where he was. "Have I been laying on your lap this whole time?" Nishibyakko tentatively asked, an odd expression on his face. It looked as if he was looking at her anew... or was it like he was peering at her like he was someone he was trying to recognize after a long time or absence? The god tried to force on a disgusted look, but was far too tired to even try.

Nishibyakko was thirsty again. Picking up the waterskin he gulped down more water, now drinking better since he was sitting up. His body hurt in many places, bruised and aching from the battle earlier. The youkai... the god didn't remember much of what had happened after he had been stabbed, but considering they were in a different location, the tengu must have died. There was no hostility in the air, nothing aside from the spiders and local animal life he could sense.

"Tengu poison, huh?" he sighed. "... You won't find the ingredients for that here. I guess I have no choice but to wait it out." His vision was still a little shaky, shifting from reality to the dreams of his drugged state. He shook his head to chase them away, trying to focus on what was real. Kiyoko was real, the forest was real and the spiders that crowded them were real. Wakahirume, was not. She was dead. The gods that laughed around him were real... but no longer friendly like that. All that was fake, false, made up by his crazed brain.

"Is that Suzaku's feather?" His eyes widened at the giant red-orange feather, a beautiful gradient that shimmered like the rising sun. "Where did you get that?" Nishibyakko instantly scowled to think that the big, oversized fire chicken had helped him out. He didn't like to owe the god of the South anything, not when he was a hot-headed bastard who had no manners. He snatched the feather away from her, hissing at the pain of the movement, before crushing the feather in his fist, the soft glowing feather disappearing into embers and smoke. "I do not need anything from a chicken."
 
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Something in Kiyoko reared back in embarrassment at his question. "Where else?" She tried to match the disbelieving note she could sense from him with an annoyed huff, but she was too relieved to give much bite. Instead, she scrunched up her nose, warily eyeing him back. There was the strangest look on his face that she didn't know how to describe. It wasn't exactly his usual mocking face whenever he saw her. They were probably both too weary to scowl and bicker with each other, and she was just glad that he was becoming more his usual self again. Hell, she'd even take his biting tone, she was learning to weather his insults and prickliness the more she got to know him. And she liked to think she was able to give as good as she got.

She nodded with a wince at his affirmation. Tengu poison was... Out of her skill at this point, and there were no ingredients to be found in the forest either. "Aa... Sorry," she muttered, feeling both awkward and guilty for his present state. Maybe if she hadn't impulsively run after him like that... Her appearance had distracted him from the tengu, hadn't it? If he hadn't lost those precious few moments staring at her in shock, the tengu wouldn't have gotten the chance to wriggle out from under him and cause that mess. Rubbing at the crusted over blood on her cheek, she scratched at the dried liquid with a sigh, flicking her hand to shake off the flakes that came off. The tengu blood she had splattered on her had been forgotten earlier.

"Huh?" Hearing him speak again, she blinked at him owlishly. What was it about Minamisuzaku Okami again? Her gaze fell upon the large feather she was holding. Oh. "I think-" Before she could react, he snatched the feather from her with a scowl. "Oi! I told you not to move too much!" Kiyoko gave him a bewildered glare and reached out to flick his forehead, wondering what he was on about. The phoenix god had helped out, hadn't he? She gasped when he crushed the feather, the warm orange light dying out and leaving them in the dark. "Maybe you don't, but how was I supposed to patch you up when I can't see in the dark?" The girl grumbled. "It floated down here out of nowhere."

"Miko-sama." The scowl faded somewhat from her face as she saw the returning spiders shrink a little at the glare. One of the spiders crawled closer, stopping in front of her. "We found a small cave..." It paused as it realized that the light from Suzaku's feather was nowhere to be found, and offered, with noticeable awkwardness, "We shall lead you and Nishibyakko-sama to it now."

Sighing, the priestess nodded and stepped over in front of the kami. She scowled at him, he was close enough to see in the dark, and knelt down. "Come on, Nishibyakko-sama. You can use me as a crutch... Just not from the left side." Like hell she was going to let him touch her bare arm or shoulder again now that he was awake. Wasn't that scandalous? To emphasize that, she grabbed his left arm, moving close enough to place it around her shoulders. Her right arm went around his back, and she tried to stand up supporting him. Kiyoko snickered as she was reminded of the first time she dragged him back to the temple. "This beats having to drag your unconscious ass to the temple. You're heavy, okami-sama."
 
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