Ten Miles of Autumn Leaves 十里秋叶 (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Mu]

He watched in pure horror as the miko began convulsing in his arms, muttering complete nonsense that meant nothing to the god. She screamed and shrieked, scaring those around her including Nishibyakko, who was at a lost with what to do. Nobody had ever... well, had a fit in front of him before. Surely if he was the god of medicine or the god of knowledge he could do something, but as a guardian of blacksmiths he was definitely not equipped for this situation. The only thing he could do was to wait for the spell to pass, staring into her as her eyes seemed to be swallowed by darkness, a never-ending black void that made Kiyoko appear otherworldly. It was disturbing, and the unsettling feeling he had experienced before tickled his mind. Almost as if the miko was not her, though she still looked like her and felt like her. But something, the aura of another entity, was radiating off of her.

Nishibyakko narrowed his eyes, hoping it was not what he thought it was. That would be troublesome, but with so many youkais roaming the world any could have their influence on her. If his presence alone was not enough to scare it out, then it was a brave one. Possibly a very potent and or old one. Though he was concerned, the god knew he could not do anything without knowing who was behind it, and for now he would not be able to find any answers. "Who is her?" he asked, shaking her to try and get her to snap out of her fit. "What game? Speak properly!" Nishibyakko's snarls fell upon deaf ears, and he sighed when she fell limp into his chest, grunting a little at the sudden weight that sent pulses of pain through his body.

At least what had just happened... was over. Now what should he do? Looking at the spiders, they were inching away from Kiyoko as if afraid, resuming their group cuddle to keep warm. Now that the miko was knocked out cold, but still thankfully breathing, there was nobody to watch out for any dangers lurking in the woods except him. He shot a look at the tiny youkai, the spiders weren't reliable. "You're such a handful for a servant of a god, you know." Nishibyakko rolled his eyes as he turned the girl over, letting her rest against his chest as a pillow for her head. He was going to have to stay awake, despite being the one who had just been drugged. "Tch, mendokusai." But he couldn't help but flutter his eyes closed for a moment, hoping to catch a few seconds of rest. "You... owe me a good fish dish, stupid miko..."

 

[Hana]

Usotsuki, Usotsuki​

The birds had long since sung their welcomes to the sun goddess as she swept up her light high in the sky, golden rays of sun pouring down on and through leaves both green and varying shades of crimson, pale yellow, and brown. Woodland critters were already skittering from tree to tree with their nuts and acorns, squirrels with their cheeks stuffed to bursting with their own food happily climbing up their homes of wood and leaves. The stream that the strange pair that burst into the forest yesterday was a burbling, merry affair with silver fish streaking through the rushing water, hiding underneath and between the larger rocks on the bed.

Somewhere in this lively environment was a place that was oddly cleared off the animals. They strayed far from the ground or flew away uneasily as soon as they saw the generous splashes of dried red blood. It wasn't an unusual sight in certain areas, they knew, where predators such as the packs of wolves with its alpha prowled to feed themselves, or near the caves where the bears made their territories known.

If one tracked the blood, they would soon come across what made the wood's inhabitants so uneasy. Even the wolves who would normally have been attracted to the scent of blood - and possible food - stayed away.

A body lay broken, a mask shattered into pieces lying scattered beside its head.

The glassy, one-eyed stare of an unnerving face, a mix of almost human (but not quite) and avian stared upwards at the forest canopy.

And the eyes of a mountain tengu were known to always be sharp.

The only exception was in death.

His mission a failure, the tengu had hunted the God of Rot and Rust for many nights before. Would his mountain clan have been gleeful if he had managed to claim the honor of killing a kami? And with it, taking the riches of a land that the White Tiger let no one ever touch. The kami did not deserve all that he had, after all, rotting and ruining everything he touched. Even the humans that youkai, at best, were indifferent to and hateful of at worst would have been better off if a youkai had killed Nishibyakko Okami.

The tengus of the mountains normally did not venture far away from their homes, though.

So why did this particular one go?

Was it for riches?

They cared not for bartering with those puny humans, not much anyway.

For honor?

Honor was not enough of a draw for them to suddenly just go against centuries of keeping themselves safe and alive.

For fame and aclaim?

For what, the favor of a foolish human Emperor? What a laugh.

The simplest and purest intention that he had when he hunted Nishibyakko along with that trifle of a god hunting band of men was because of the threat to his tribe.

A golden ogress had just claimed a vast amount of territory from their mountain.

They had always been fighting with the golden oni who lived on that very same mountain. And in the past generation and so on, they had been able to effectively put the oni clan under their heels. It was easy, when the chieftain had dwindled down into a husk and the princess had to lead.

Could women lead?

When she had married the infamous king of yet another, larger mountain, a kingdom in itself, they had thought that the threat would be from the king's men and his tribe.

And they were very wrong.

Was it so wrong to be desperate to claim something? To ally themselves with that vile Emperor against a common enemy?

That oni woman was already enough of a threat. What then, would happen, if she actually was able to move her husband's heart? (Though it might never happen in this century, people would titter. They hated each other.)

Was it really any wonder that he did this for his clan?

As one of the finest archers they had, he thought he had a duty to do the best by them.

And it got him killed by a human child.

What a shame, what a shame.

Tucked safely away from the knowledge of what had just happened, away from the worries and troubles of mountain tengu and oni clans that warred among their homes, Kiyoko Hayashi had hardly stirred from her place on her own god's lap. Had the girl been aware and awake, she would have shook the entire forest up with her shrieks. But now. Her face was smoothed away of worries and trouble, almost like a child's. There was a faint hint of a smile on lips that were starkly bitten into until they bled the night before. It wasn't a particularly happy smile, it was the sort of smile that crept up on anyone when they felt safe and warm in their sleep.

She was laying with her cheek pressed against Nishibyakko's bare chest as if she had a place there, but wasn't it his decision to let her sleep on him? The girl didn't move a lot in sleep, with only some shifting throughout the night that was natural. Her arms were loosely wrapped around a bandaged waist. How she ended up sleeping so soundly on a god she usually yelled at or eyed warily would be a mystery left unsolved for along time to both of them. Or maybe he was just reminiscing when someone who held a similar appearance used to do much the same as the priestess did now.

"Lord kami, aren't we supposed to wake her up to make sure she's alright?"

One spider, the same spider who had the most bravery to talk the most to Kiyoko yesterday and was gradually becoming the leader of its siblings, stared fixedly at the sleeping girl. The screams she let out during the night had scared everyone in the cave, had scared its siblings, but at the root of it all they were probably concerned. She had saved them, or they thought she did. The spider then moved its stare up to Nishibyakko's face curiously. "Uh, you two should eat something." At the mention of food, the rest of its siblings shifted. They were also hungry, but for some reason they wanted to hold back on their instincts to go and hunt for food (or trap them), and instead wait for what should be done.

 

[Mu]

Having the priestess sleeping so close to him, normally the god would have wanted to push the girl away for being so brave and also so foolish. Her cheek had been cold against his bare skin, but over time she slowly sunk into a bundle of warmth. Nishibyakko secretly admitted he liked her much more this way, quiet and subdued and not talking her head off or yelling at him. But this sort of closeness was not something he was very fond of anymore, he had been deprived of it for so long. His first had left the earth so long ago, and that hole in his heart had not yet been filled with something quite as satisfying or as exciting. Even the goddess of fertility, the mischevious pink-haired kami who knew what fun truly meant, did not completely heal him. Even so, did he really consider what he had with her simliar to his first? No, he didn't really. Maybe that was why he always seemed to feel so alone.

So he was surprised to know and to feel that he had a connection with this girl, this mortal girl who had nothing related to him except for the fact that she was a shrine maiden in the Hayashi temple. Yet she did not have their blood, the family that he once looked down upon with respect of his own. The ones who tended to his land even though they knew it was not their own. They dug moderately, never too deep to expose the treasure underneath, enough to plant their crops and harvest them to live. They shared their goods as well, and Nishibyakko knew they were a good family. Thinking back, in the darkness of the cave, he was lucky to have such kind people who believed in him. But this Kiyoko, who donned the last name of a family she was not birthed into, was rude and loud. So unlike the others, but surprisingly loyal and brave. Ridiculously brave to some extent.

He looked down at the sleeping maiden with mild curiosity. Thoughts about what had happened last night soared through his mind. Not of his attack and his injuries, his bandages wrapped around the throbbing but healing wounds, but of her erratic spasm. She acted like she was another person, possessed or taken over by something unseen. As he had thought earlier, he couldn't remove what was ailing her even if he could - he did not know what had taken hold of her, even if that was the case. Or perhaps she was inflicted with some sort of mental condition - that was also something the god of the west couldn't lend a hand in - it would make sense if she had an interest in medicine. Many he knew before took to that field to heal themselves or their loved ones. Shame he couldn't read mortal's minds.

There was another thing concerning Nishibyakko entirely. That sword she had drawn earlier from inside of her. He had never seen that before, and that was not something the Fudatou Fuu was known to do. How had it gotten inside of her without killing her? What was special about her that it could enter through her blood and flesh without damaging her internal organs? She was strange, a handful and annoying but strange. A mortal with fleeting life and sensitive emotions but also mysterious and had traits unheard of. Now that he was alone and had time to reflect and think, it was very odd. A possessor of the sealing sword... but also apparently not one who knew how to use it. That was to be expected, the women of Hayashi always relied on traditional paper seals while the men used the blade to rid their usual lesser or weaker magic handicap. It would break tradition but the god was not going to just let her die because she was stupid to the art of swordsmanship.

When the spiders spoke, Nishibyakko had forgotten he had company. He turned his head down to look at them with eyes muddled, deep in thinking about what was happening around him, and what the situation was. Hearing their words, the god skimmed the thought, weighning the options. "I think we should leave her be, less chance of her freaking out and making a ruckus," the god slowly pulled her arms away from his waist, settling them by her neck. He ignored the fact that she would have slapped him if he touched her hands like this. "None of us can fight properly now, I don't want her to attract any attention."

"But food sounds good... but I'm not sure if you youkai will know what is edible. I'll have to teach you - or this one, when she wakes up." He looked out the cave, where the sunshine was beckoning to them, the forest begging to be explored and its resources harvested. He could sense the rustling of the underbrush as the rabbits moved, and the splashing of fish in the rivers if he strained his ears. "Half of you stay here and look after her, I'll take the others out to catch something. How does that sound?" the god offered. He could not hunt, but he could watch these youkai learn how to.

 

[Hana]

The spider siblings known as Hitotsu, Futatsu, and Mittsu all perked up at the offer of teaching them how to hunt. They were the most vocal of their siblings, in the short life they have had so far. Hitotsu was the born leader, with the most bravery to talk to the kami, even if they could all feel how fearsome he was. She was also the one who was the most grateful to the strange priestess, because she wanted all her sisters to survive. Despite the death of their mother, all Hitotsu wanted was for the siblings she shared so much warmth with to continue living on. Futatsu was the clever sister, with her having led the group of sisters that walked into the dark forest to find the things the priestess asked for. She was quiet, and Hitotsu suspected the wariest of the kami and his follower. And Mittsu was the one who liked the priestess the best.

"That would be very nice, kami-sama." This time, it was Mittsu who chimed in, sounding much more cheerful as she gently bobbed her spider head up and down. "Mittsu can stay with miko-sama while Hitotsu and Futatsu come to learn hunting with you."

Already the many other little sisters had started following behind Hitotsu and Futatsu, the group splitting up in half. Mittsu crawled across the cave floor with her many legs to hover close to the sleeping miko.

"Is it really fine to leave them with her?" Futatsu spoke up, a frown in her voice. "She's not safe, sister. You saw what happened in the night before. We all felt it." That the lady priestess wasn't completely by herself in her body last night... Why would they want to leave their siblings with her, knowing that?

"Be that it may, she was the one who let us live and promised to teach us how to live a good life!" Hitotsu waved one leg, agitated. "And we have already pledged ourselves to her, Futatsu. In front of a kami, would you dare going back on that?"

They all shot a nervous look at Nishibyakko. Futatsu, after a moment, grudgingly conceded. "No. Let's go hunting, then."

​

After half of the spider siblings left with Nishibyakko, Kiyoko had slowly started stirring awake from her sleep. Maybe it was the loss of a comfortable warm spot to sleep on, but waking up was inevitable. The spiders and Mittsu watched as the petite miko mumbled, her voice slurred by sleep as she moved against the solid cave wall. He had left her lying down on the floor but tucked against the wall to keep her warm, but it wasn't as warm as the tiger god could be. Was that a look of disappointment and loss? Mittsu cocked her head. She didn't really feel comfort the way humans probably did, and she didn't know how to read expressions on human faces yet. The human priestess did give off a feeling of contentment earlier that was now quickly disappearing.

"Good morning, miko-sama!" The spiders all chirped in unison as crimson eyes fluttered open, staring and blinking at them slowly.

For her part, Kiyoko felt curiously well-rested. It was odd. She dimly remembered feeling warm and comfortable all night long, but as she blearily took in her surroundings... How did she get that comfortable inside a cave? Blinking a few more times, she turned towards the spiders and arched a brow sleepily. "Morning...?" A look outside showed the world was bright once more, even under the leaves and branches, the forest clear to the eyes of travelers. She licked her lips, feeling an odd stinging sensation on them, before she jumped.

"Where is he?" Kiyoko sounded more than just a little spooked as realization fully sunk in. She racked her head for where he could be. "He's injured, he shouldn't be moving around!" They were sitting around the fire in the cave last night, talking and chatting... Nishibyakko was telling some strange, far off tales...

Her mind came up blank after, as if a thick mist had blurred out the rest of that night. "Did I fall asleep? Seriously?" Groaning, she held her hand over her eyes. "I didn't think I was that tired that I'd fall asleep while we were talking..."

The spiders looked uneasily at each other. She didn't remember? "He's teaching some of us to hunt for food, but don't worry!" They quickly backtracked at seeing the mix of anger and concern darkening Kiyoko's face. "He's not moving around or doing the hunting himself!"

"But!" Kiyoko quickly stood up, before steadying herself with one hand against the cave wall. The girl's view had blurred and spun as she had gotten up from the ground. "Stood up too quickly..." Muttering, she covered her face with her other hand again. After the small spell of vertigo had passed, she glanced at the remains of the fire last night. What could have kept her warm? She hadn't been able to tend to it at all if she - embarrassingly - fell asleep while she was looking after her patient. Unless it was him? Scrunching up her face, she imagined the god stoking the fire and adding more wood... But how was she so comfortable?

"Miko-sama, please sit down! He told us he'd come back with our sisters soon!" One of the spiders was pushing at her rather insistently, two of its arms tugging at the miko's red hakama. "Please listen to Mittsu!"

She stared at them oddly, then looked down. "Mittsu?" At that, she noticed the spider holding on to her nod, enthusiastic. "That's your name?" It nodded even more rapidly, if that was possible.

"Mittsu was told by the lord kami to look after you, miko-sama!" The spider spoke in a rather childish way. It almost made the priestess smile, but she still felt a bit... Worried. It was probably silly, considering it was Nishibyakko... "Lord kami has Mittsu's sisters with him to look out for him too! He'll be fine!"

Staring at this little spider, and seeing nothing but honesty in those red eyes, was seriously a strange experience. Kiyoko still couldn't forget the utter deceit and glee on this spider's mother with all her slaughters of humans. But Mittsu just looked at her expectantly... And she crumbled.

Sighing, Kiyoko sat back down. "... I'll wait, then, but not for too long. That idiot shouldn't have been going off on his own..."​

​

 

[Mu]

"I'm guessing you'll be nesting here in the forest once we leave, most of you will probably focus on how to weave webs around here," Nishibyakko said as he led the spiders through the intricate maze of rising evergreen trees. He patted one of the thick, rough trunks. They were set far apart enough to form traps that could catch unsuspecting humans, but the god doubted that they would come so deep into here without meeting trouble. The point of rescuing them was so Nishibyakko and Kiyoko could wean them off a diet of humans and rather feed off animals instead. There were plenty here, but they needed to know how to catch it first.

He pointed at the two little youkai with narrowed eye. "But the others are going to actively hunt, so I'm going to teach you two how to do that. And you'll teach all your brothers and sisters once you understand the concept, alright?" Most people would think that creatures as small as these spiders would never be able to hunt something. But Nishibyakko knew better. He knew that by working together, they could fall even horses at this size. They lived together and they seemed to treasure each other as infants. Thinking they had potential was an understatement - they had plenty of potential and determination. That would be enough to serve them well, the god thought.

"First, you must move in the forest as quietly as possible. Do not try to disturb anything, weave around the forest floor as if you aren't even there." The god demonstrated this by moving away from the youkai, towards a fallen log covered in moss and vines. It must have been there for a long time. As the god of the west glided across the forest floor, not even a leaf was disturbed. His movement was completely silent, like a cat roaming in the dark. "If you make any noises, you'll scare away your food. And you'll go hungry."

Nishibyakko caressed the moss on the log. It was a little damp, and it smelt like the rain. He used to love being in these forests, either by himself or with another. Even though it was by his territory, there was always something here that could amaze him. Nature was amazing. He tried his best to not wilt anything that grew on these lands, or kill any animal if not for consumption. It was always breathtaking to see a new family of rabbits, or new trees growing, or the lake extending longer and longer, or more wild fruit growing by the waters. "Some of you might like to hide in places like these logs and wait for something to come by. But you can also try to seek it yourself. You may not disturb the ground, but other animals might. Like rabbits, they're careless and loud - you'll find their droppings and their tracks easily."

In a quick movement, the god was on the ground, hunched over with his eyes gleaming like the feline he was. A wide grin split his face as his explained what to do next. "Then, you wait for the right moment to strike - when they turn away from you, or stop to munch on something tasty... "

Without warning, Nishibyakko leapt forward, right towards the two watching youkai who scattered just as he landed where they were moments ago, scattering leaves and grass as he did so. The ground seemed to reverberate at his movements, his landing echoing into the ground like pulse waves. "You bite them and wrap them in thick silk. Take it home and enjoy as you like. If you cannot handle a rabbit by yourself, then get a sibling to help." His ears twitched at nearby movement, the wave having rustled and disturbed what he thought to be a gathering of rabbits. His stomach growled in anticipation, he was hungry. It had been a while since he had eaten food offered for the gods. Nishibyakko was getting spoiled, he had lasted years without any sort of nourishment before, and now that he had access to some at the Hayashi temple, his body complained when it did not have food in it. "Ignore that," the god growled. "Five hundred steps ahead is a rabbit, follow as I said."

 

[Hana]

"Hitotsu, I'm going before you." The second spider looked wary towards Nishibyakko, having had to leap away from him just before. Even spiders who were born just yesterday could feel it in their blood how deadly the kami was, but seeing all that restrained killing potential for the purposes of teaching them was still a bit unnerving for the newly-born youkai. Futatsu could see the admiration shining in her sister's eyes, she was taking it all in easier than she could. The same was true of Mittsu, who had taken a liking to the strange human back in the cave. Clicking her mandibles, she looked away from the kami to call to a group of her sisters, and they did their best to follow their lessons. Some of them climbed up the slender tree trunks to disappear into the tree branches, only the occasional sounds and swaying telling those below that those above were on the move.

They're not trained hunters, but they were animals at heart, weren't they? They were born as spiders who had the chance to one day become like their mother. The potential to be a deadly, beautiful beast was in each and every one of them. So was the instinct.

Even if the kami and the human had not interfered and just left them to live alone, without 'teaching' them, Futatsu knew that she and her sisters would eventually learn how to fend for themselves. It was the way of life in the animal world, they would learn how to spin webs that caught animals (or humans?) or they would starve and die. The only blessing was that they had all ensured their survival, clinging to the helping hand of a human who should have been mouthwateringly appetizing to their kind. Left alone, not all of them would have survived.

She gave herself into her instincts, her many thin and multiple-jointed limbs trekking through the forest floor. Disappearing along the sides were two or three of her sisters.

Five hundred steps, was it?

Their many legs could carry them there fast enough.

The rabbit came in sight, its fur a soft and tawny brown, body plump. Futatsu could feel her spider venom already leak at her mouth. The rest of her sisters had surrounded the area in case the rabbit wanted to run.

But since the god asked her and Hitotsu to learn this lesson first, she had to-

The rabbit suddenly seized up, frightened, and Futatsu hissed as it quickly hopped almost out of her span. Behind the rabbit, her sister burst out from a small bush.

"Hitotsu, you idiot!"

​

"... They're not back fast enough." Kiyoko stared long and hard at the pile of rocks. They were random stones she and Mittsu had gathered from the cave floor and just a bit out there, and now they were forming small towers by balancing each on top of the other. It was harder than it looked to form a steady pile of rocks, but at least they had something to do. She remembered doing it growing up after everyone died, and there was no one to play with. So she had gotten the knack of piling rocks on top of each other by now. The current pile was about as tall as the miko's arm by now, and was her tenth attempt, maybe?

When was that idiot god coming back with the other spiders?

Mittsu watched, fascinated, as the priestess delicately perched a stone on top of the pile. She had plucked it out of the random pile of rocks the spiders had excitedly scurried around to get for her. The rest of the spiders were watching as the straight pile swayed a bit to the side, before steadying.

"Mittsu thinks they'll be back soon with food! If kami-sama gets hurt, sisters will bring him back."

The priestess's red eyes flickered to meet the little spider's.

"I don't think you girls can carry that loaf. He's too big and heavy, but I guess they can come running back here to tell me if he went and hurt himself. Again."​

​

 

[Mu]

"What a shame," the god sighed. "Well, you just started, so I can't get mad." They were still young and 'immature', youkai did not take a long time to grow and mature, but intelligence and skill took time to nurture. They had no time, Nishibyakko could not afford to sit here and wait for them to get better at hunting, even if he did have all the time in the world. The unsettling aura around Kiyoko still bugged the god, and he could tell the spiders were disturbed by the events of the previous night as well. Not just the tengu attack, though he was sure they were terrified of that as well, but what had happened in the cave. She was probably awake now, the god brushed aside the fact he was surprised he didn't hear her shouting or screaming through the forest trees.

Perhaps they should start on something more simple, like the concept of working together. Did they understand that? The fundamentals needed to be brushed upon before they could hunt on their own. He nodded to himself, that was a good idea. Nishibyakko wasn't a very good physical teacher, so he was learning things as well. The god knew how to give advice, and what to tell mortals when they needed his back in the day, but physically getting up to assist them? That was something Azumeseiryuu would do, not him.

He turned to the spiders, an idea forming in his head. "All of you wait here, make sure you are prepared to shoot plenty of silk. I believe this is innate in all of you, but we should practice your teamwork. I will go and chase the prey here, you will capture it. With so many of you, I doubt we would leave here empty handed. Once you understand how much silk must be applied to stop the prey - a rabbit - you will be able to apply this even when I am gone." The god made sure to speak as clearly as possible, with no slang or village words, simple language that even newborn youkai could understand. "Wait here."

It did not take long for the god to return, and he made enough noise to tell the spiders he was returning. Walking at a brisk pace, ensuring he was not ripping open any of his wounds, the god of the west kept his eyes on a fat, brown furred rabbit hopping along in front of him, trying to get away. Despite not keeping his eyes on the path, he seemed to glide over tripping tree roots and fallen fruit and branches, as if he had memorized this ever changing forest floor. In one hand was another rabbit, already dead and motionless, held up by its legs. That was Kiyoko's food. The spiders would be hunting for their own nourishment - that was how things worked around here.

Any of the rabbit's attempts to veer off the path the god intended to go upon, the rabbit would be met with a splash of liquid metal to the side, forming walls that scared it back onto the correct way - right towards the log where the spiders waited for them.

 

[Hana]

"Ne, Mittsu." Back at the cave, Kiyoko had stood up and stretched her sleep-heavy limbs. The priestess paced the meager length of the small space in front of the cave, the piles of rock abandoned to the side after she had grown a bit too antsy to continue sitting still. Turning around after another one of her walks had come full circle, she padded over towards the spider and knelt down. Something was confusing... Just who did name the spider and her sisters? And how were they gifted with speech already after just being born? You sure know how to ask the important questions, the miko thought, inwardly twitching at her own wandering mind. "Who named you and your sisters?"

The little creature peered up at her. "Eh?" Mittsu sounded genuinely confused for a moment. "You had to be able to tell between the three of us, so Mittsu's sisters came up with it. Mittsu's kind doesn't use our names until we've grown big." As if to illustrate her point, the spider used its two front arms to motion in a big circle - big for her small body, that is. "What is your name? Hitotsu didn't learn it yesterday when she talked to you, but since we owe you, we will give our names to you."

Blinking, Kiyoko mused on what she had learned. Youkai had names that could affect them, didn't they? It was the same as the kami. Only the humans didn't seem to be as bound with their souls to their given names, for a reason that the names they were given at birth weren't their true names. Or the name that reflected the entirety of their being, of their soul. She lowered her eyes, hand itching to suddenly grab a hold of a sword that lay just underneath her skin. Of course, there were other ways to bind something aside from just knowing its name.

"Kiyoko." She stretched a smile on her face just for the expectant spider, reaching out to rest her hand atop the small creature. The sensation of hairy and yet hard shell underneath her hand should have sent more than just a passing shiver down her back, but the affectionate buzz she could feel from Mittsu was very soothing in its own way. Red eyes the shade of burgundy, different from the miko's, sparkled with delight back at her. It was hard not to smile back at Mittsu. Yet Kiyoko still felt wonder at how these spiders were able to look so trustingly upon her face like this. Hadn't she just murdered their mother yesterday?

"Kiyoko! Kiyoko! Is it alright to call you Kiyoko-sama?" The spider parroted her name, making the miko arch a brow. At least Mittsu showed that she really was still a child every time she spoke. Nodding, she sighed and stood up.

"And I can call you Mittsu-chan. Mittsu-chan, can we go to the river stream? It looks like Nishibyakko-sama and your sisters are taking their sweet time." Kiyoko muttered a few more less flattering words about the kami under her breath, crossing her arms. Now that she was more awake, she felt thirsty. A splash of water on her face and a drink sounded good right now. As the spider happily nodded and hopped on her shoulder, perching on it, the miko almost stiffened in surprise. "... Well, you can lead the way like that, I guess." She noticed a few more spiders come and crawl ahead of them, probably to watch her. There was nothing weird about that. At all.

 

[Mu]

Much to Nishibyakko's delight, as soon as the rabbit placed one foot into the range of the spiders, it was dead meat. Nishibyakko watched curiously as they moved as quick as lightning, spewing out strands of pure white silk that wrapped around their prey like ropes. Snagging its back and front legs, the animal stumbled and fell on its front, squealing and wriggling in a futile attempt to break free of its bonds. More and more sticky strands wrapped around the rabbit, while those who weren't unwinding silk leapt onto it, sinking fangs into fur and flesh to immobilize it.

The god suppressed a shudder as he watched, better the rabbit than he or Kiyoko in the future. The decision to take these youkai and to raise them away from humans would be a good one, with plenty of benefits. Not to mention even once the priestess passed on, these youkai were unlikely to feast on human flesh - and could possibly teach their children to do the same. The god of the west nodded to himself, yes, this would be the first step to taming the youkai. It was slower for sure, but more peaceful than turning a sword on them. He had a feeling this would be what Kiyoko would have done, if she had the power of a deity.

He shook his head, what was he thinking? A mortal like her would never obtain power like a god. A god was more than just something who reigned in heaven. It was more than just lounging around in the clouds drinking merrily. They had responsibilities and heavy burdens to carry, they managed the world and how it worked. The god looked down at his hand, and wondered exactly how many people held faith in him. Having told the story of the Forgotten Gods to Kiyoko, it got him thinking - how long would it take for him to become one? He didn't know the exact numbers of followers he had, but he had enough power to defend himself from the Emperor.

He could also feel that somewhere in the world, on this country and land, those blades he had created had owners - they had men and women who wielded them. There was something at the back of his mind that suggested that some of them were no longer in the hands of the human man, but rather those in which the blade was meant to slay. How unfortunate. But he had no time to walk the earth and gather his creations - he was far too weak for that now. He could only hope that those who held his creations believed in him as Kiyoko did.

"Nishibyakko-okami-sama?" a spider piped up, its siblings dragging along a white cocoon of strong spider's silk. The rabbit inside was dead, the life essence drained from its body. The youkai tried to catch the god's attention by waving its arms about, hopping onto his open hand to peer into his eyes, clouded with thoughts he had been thinking of since he had awoken. "Shall we go back now? This will be enough for all of us."

"Yes. Alright. I'm sure the others are all waiting." He shuffled the rabbit he had caught for the miko in his other hand, readjusting his grip. "Hatchlings like you lot don't eat too much compared to your kind once you mature." Even horses couldn't satisfy them, many rumors were often spread among villagers and townspeople, afraid of everything and anything to do with youkai. The relationship between the two species have always been hostile.

They followed the stream back towards the cave, with the spiders leading the way as they hopped from rock to rock, dipping their legs into the water every now and then. Watching them was enough to make the man tired, they were too energetic - were all children this energetic? Now he was starting to think he was some sort of father to them. Nishibyakko crinkled his nose, he wasn't quite sure if he wanted children. They were loud and problematic, god's blood running in children led to trouble and nuisances. Nishibyakko inwardly groaned at this growing train of thought, he needed more rest. That was it. The poison was still there in his system, and he would prefer spending the rest of the day sleeping the drowsiness and hallucinations off.

As one of the youkai looked up, helping its siblings lugging along their breakfast, their eyes lit up with recognition as a familiar figure approached them, more spindly-leg arachnids following her like a shadow. "Ah! Kiyoko-sama!" it squeaked. "You're awake!"

 

[Hana]

The splash of cold water on her skin was both refreshing and just the slightest bit stinging as Kiyoko scooped up a handful of water from the stream, cupping it in her hands and washing her face. She shivered at the colder temperature as the liquid made contact, before shaking her head to flick off the droplets clinging to the fringe of her hair. Bringing up another handful to her face as she crouched beside the stream, she sighed as the remnants and flecks of dried, crusted blood was swept away by the handfuls of water, droplets turning pink, swirling along the surface of the river before washing out. The bloody water cleared as the girl watched with dulled eyes, before she started washing her hands as well. "Either way is fucked up, huh." She washed her arm as well, rubbing harder than usual as she scowled at her reflection in the water.

Burning the youkai with her spiritual powers brought her their memories, and gave her a taste of the evil or malice they wrought in life. The priestess always felt tainted after doing it... Which was the most ironic of all, since weren't shrine maidens supposed to be pure? Why do I feel so... Stained each time. I hate it. Was it their lot in life to be forced to witness those memories each time they purged a youkai? It should make these holy people have difficulty keeping their pure ways if they saw those vile flashes of a demon's life. Yet it still happened.

And yet killing with her bare hands felt... Kiyoko didn't know what to feel. It had just happened without her thinking. "What the fuck was I thinking?" She pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes, gritting her teeth and drowning out the sounds. She wasn't thinking. After hearing that god yowl in pain, that sword had just slid out from her body and found its way surely through that tengu's eye. She could remember the way it popped, with a soft noise that made her want to wretch.

Keeping an eye on Nishibyakko and feeling so much worry for him the night before had kept these troubling thoughts at bay. She despised the solitude, all of a sudden, looking around the peaceful surroundings. The river burbled merrily, the soothing sounds of rushing water over rocks and pebbles in rhythm with the sounds of the quiet forest. Despite the soothing surroundings, Kiyoko felt a sudden repulsion for being alone in that moment. At least with the god, she was able to distract herself from thinking of last night.

"Kiyoko-sama?" The spiders looked at each other uneasily from their places away from the miko when she was silent for too long. She had asked them to stay back while she cleaned herself, but suddenly, Mittsu wanted to step forward and shake the girl. The spider skittered away from her sisters and spoke up, again. "Kiyoko-sama? Are you okay?"

The way the girl turned was almost whiplash as she shot a grin at Mittsu. It didn't reach Kiyoko's eyes, but she smiled a little wider. "Yeah! I am, I feel refreshed." As if to prove her point, she turned around and stuck her hand in the water. The water splashed against her chin as she tipped her head back to drink, but it didn't look like the girl even noticed as it drippe down her skin and onto her clothing. She did it again two more times before standing up, bouncing on her feet. "Come, let's go meet them! Do you want to perch on my hair again, Mittsu-chan?"

Mittsu eyed her, at the too forced grin on Kiyoko's lips that didn't match her eyes, before nodding. "... Yes, Kiyoko-sama!" She hopped onto the girl's shoulder and then climbed up her hair as the priestess crouched before standing back up.

The rest of the spiders caught up to the two as Kiyoko started walking along the side of the river. She didn't speak, instead looking straight ahead with a fixed smile on her face. I need to check on his wound and if he's feeling better after last night. Should I change the bandages and clean the wound again? Or should I wait until we get back? Busy things, busy thoughts would help her keep her mind off of the unwanted. When they caught sight of more spiders that weren't part of Mittsu's group, she smiled and nodded at the newcomers. "Yeah. It's a good morning, isn't it?"

She eyed Nishibyakko as he came up behind them, gaze settling on his face after passing his wounded side. "And you. I need to check on your injury again. Are you still seeing things or do you still feel dizzy?"

... Wait. All of a sudden, Kiyoko remembered that he was hunting around when he was supposed to be resting.

Placing a hand on her hip, she scowled at him, the smile finally leaving. It was a change from the smile she gave the spiders. "You're not supposed to be moving around, idiot."

 

[Mu]

The god eyed her, his expression completely blank before his gaze fell on the area of his wound. It had stopped bleeding, and only stung a little when he moved about. However... "These sorts of injuries are nothing to me," the god huffed as he masked the tiredness he felt in his bones. "I have had worse, stop worrying." He had been chased across the country by these men for a long, long time. The Emperor was a relentless and greedy man, befitting as the ruler of his people. He never seemed to know when to give up, and now all the supernatural denizens of the country sided with the mortal with the crown. Chased by all sorts of youkai and men alike, he had suffered from horrendous injuries before... all without Kiyoko lurking around him, nor any of his followers at that fact. Nishibyakko recovered fine on his own, didn't he?

He threw the rabbit he held towards the girl, hoping she would at least be able to catch it. "Fine. I need more rest. I helped out to do my daily stretches, forcing your body to rest for such long times is bad for your body." He silently began to trudge past her towards the direction of the cave they had taken shelter in, trying his best to stop the ringing in his head. The god wasn't seeing things of the past anymore, or unwanted memories and recollections. But his head was still thudding like someone was pounding on the walls of his skull.

"Skin and roast it, that's your breakfast." He spoke without looking at her, a hand resting on a rough tree trunk when he stopped to comment. He looked as if he was about to say something, his head half turned almost ready to turn around to speak before he changed his mind and continued down the path they had made. The spiders parted silently, though they looked at each other with confusion. Having not been in this world long, they could not fully grasp how the god felt, even if they were youkai. Nor did Nishibyakko want them to, either. Having one person worrying about him in these times was strange and foreign enough, he did not need fifty others tending to him, not when he was no longer used to it.

Not to say he didn't like being pampered, he appreciated that. He did once and he still did now.

Noticing that he was rather grimy, a little sweaty from the morning movements and from the previous day, he realised he had not bathed in a while. Nishibyakko scrunched up his nose as he took in the smell. His own body odour was no problem to him, the god did not really 'smell', in his opinion. But being covered by all these germs and bacteria... and the stench of the tengu youkai from yesterday was putrid to his nose. Maybe he needed to go have a bath.

 

[Hana]

"Having you say it like that doesn't make things better, idiot," Kiyoko grimaced at how blase Nishibyakko seemed about his own body, raising her eyes to meet his. "If anything, am I supposed to feel glad you've gotten 'worse'?" The miko wondered what the god even thought of her pointing it out, but... "Being hurt that many times isn't a good thing." Maybe her mindset really was so far apart from that of a god. Did gods need to make a fuss about bodily injuries, like humans did? They were not fragile like humans in body. But that didn't stop her, a human, from still cringing at the thought of having gone through the things he implied he had. She opened her mouth to say something, then had to bite her tongue in surprise as he tossed her the rabbit in one haphazard motion. Having barely caught it, the miko let out a long sigh and shook her head as she moved to catch up with the god.

She glanced down at his fresh catch as he stopped to comment. "What about you?" He had started moving again without comment, and the miko only spoke up after she matched his stride. As she looked at the spiders that followed, she noted that they already had their own breakfast. If they had their own, did that mean... "Why didn't you get anything for yourself?" It didn't really seem like him to forgo his own breakfast for hers.

As the god seemed to ignore her question again, Kiyoko rolled her eyes. "We can split this in half." It wasn't a rabbit at its fattest, but it was still a good amount for two people. Though, glancing at Nishibyakko, she mused that he was probably counted for two people on his own already. She didn't mind splitting it, he caught it so he did deserve to get some of his own spoils. As she passed by him, the girl swore she heard him sniff.

The look of disgust that spread on his face had the girl arch a brow. "You can go take a bath while I prepare this." She was a bit amused to see such a look on Nishibyakko's face, but the blood from the tengu did splash on them both. There was also his own blood... "Though try not to open up or touch your wound too much."

 

[Mu]

"Well..." the god rubbed at the bandage. "It should be a good thing, it means this isn't the worse wound I've received." No, it really wasn't. If anything this poison was one of the mild ones, nowhere near the ones where he needed herbal tonics to flush out the lethal poisons from his stomach. A searing hot pain that wouldn't go away for months and months, where Nishibyakko roared painfully in the mountains among the trees, frightening animals and the villagers that lived nearby. "I'm saying you shouldn't worry so much."

Even though the rabbit did look very tasty, and cooked rabbit meat was tempting and delicious in itself, the god wasn't sure if he would be able to stomach food in this state. It would be better if the miko ate the entire thing herself, or at least shared it with the spiders or took the rest home for her to eat later than to waste it on him if he was just going to regurgitate it out moments later. He shook his head. "I'm not hungry," the god murmured. Yet moments later, his stomach began to growl in protest, and the god gave his chest a mighty punch to silence it, hoping the girl didn't hear anything. She wouldn't let him go if she even caught wind of stomach growls.

They made their way through the trees down the path with the god leading the way. Even with his eyes closed he would have been able to navigate back, the smell they had left behind had formed into a trail of sorts and he wasn't even aware that he had been trudging down the dirt path back towards the cave. While the group behind him was likely to set up a campfire near the mouth, the man took a detour towards the river nearby, fresh water trickling down. There were fish swimming calmly, hovering in the water, but they quickly scattered when the shadow of the tall man loomed over them. Quietly shrugging off what clothing he had on him left, the form of a massive feline, his wound a patchy red mass at his side, waddled into the river and sat himself down, letting the water wash over him and over his head. It was cool and icy, gentle against his skin. Whatever fish that came from upstream avoided the cat completely even though he took up more than half of the space.