~ by Amanda Pizzolatto & Aurora Mandeville
“Chishaki-sama, what are you going to do about the boy?” The brown-haired tengu glanced at the young kodama, moaning and thrashing about under the covers.
“The only thing I can do, Benyakko, adopt him and hope he can forgive me.”
“It really wasn’t your fault.”
Chishaki sighed, “You can keep saying that, but I can’t help but think that there was something else I could have done.”
“I know, that’s why I will keep saying it. Perhaps one day I may get all of you to believe it.”
Chishaki smiled, “You may yet, but that will have to wait, we have other, more pressing matters at hand. Have you informed Detective Hashura of our dilemma?”
“Yes, I have, he said he’ll help as soon as he can. Shall I inform Tsubasi-san of our dilemma as well?”
Chishaki nodded, “You should, and you can give him permission to use Yorori whenever necessary, and only out of absolute necessity. We don’t need to alert Dokusha’s forces to our whereabouts or our plans.” He glanced back at the kodoma, moving his dark hair aside to feel his forehead. He bent over and whispered, “You can fight this, Sishachi, you can win. You have to, for your parents, for your sister, for your cousin. You can do this; I believe in you.” Chishaki straightened up, his eyes never leaving Sishachi’s face. The words seemed to have the effect Chishaki wanted, Sishachi looked a bit better and the moaning paused before going back under, less severe than earlier.
“Are you sure you can’t postpone the trip? He seems to do better every time you speak to him.”
Chishaki sighed, “I know, but this was planned months ago, I can’t back out now. Is everything ready?”
“Yes, Chishaki-sama, the cab should be here in a few minutes, and your luggage is by the front door.”
“Thank you, Benyakko, I’ll go freshen up real quick before the cab gets here. Sishachi, I am leaving you in Benyakko’s capable hands. I’ll be gone for a few days, so you be good for him, alright?” Sishachi stopped moaning, his breathing seemed to steady. Benyakko checked his forehead, smiling as he glanced up at Chishaki.
“I think the fever is going to break! He might be back on his feet when you return!”
Chishaki let out a sigh of relief, “That’s good. Once you think he’s able, you can start him on the basic onja exercises. Now, I’d better finish getting ready to go.” He quickly left the room to finish up some things before leaving. When the cab honked to announce its arrival, Chishaki was giving some last-minute instructions to Benyakko while they gathered the luggage. Soon, Chishaki was on his way to the station, hoping and praying, that everything would turn out alright.
The next day, Chishaki woke up early, there were a few things he wanted to get done in Shosuri before boarding the next train to Aora. He walked briskly from the hotel to an old-looking bookstore.
“Ah, Yamida-sama, how good of you to come by. How have you been?”
“As well as can be expected, Miaki-san, how about you? How is business?”
Miaki smiled, “As well as can be expected. Come, we will talk in my office. Saori, I’ll be in my office if you need me!”
“Thank you, sir!” the young clerk replied as Miaki led his guest to the back.
“Kochi or hacha?”
“Kochi, please.”
“Cream, sugar?”
“A bit of cream and two lumps of sugar, please.” Miaki handed him a teacup full of the now medium brown liquid. The sharp aroma whirled around Chishaki’s nose as he took a sip. “Ah, that hits the spot, thank you.”
Miaki smiled, “You’re welcome. Now, about that book you requested . . .”
“Were you able to get it?” Miaki opened a desk drawer and pulled out an old, black notebook and handed it to Chishaki.
“This is it, right?” Chishaki opened it and flipped through its contents.
He smiled, “Yes, this is it, thank you.”
“Well, you will need this, just in case.” Chishaki glanced up questioningly, Miaki held an old, brown notebook the exact same size as the black one and a book protector. Chishaki grinned, understanding Miaki’s intent.
“Right, can’t leave without that now, can I?”
“Nope, won’t let you either. Nor will you pester me about paying for this.”
“What? But….”
“No buts, Yamida-sama, I will let you know which books are actually expensive enough for you to pay for.”
Chishaki laughed, “Oh alright, Miaki-san, your store, your say.”
Miaki grinned, “Thank you, Yamida-sama. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some letters that must be mailed and I want to be back in time to relieve Saori for lunch.”
“Of course, there are a few things that I must see to before I head to Aora,” replied Chishaki, quickly stuffing the black book into a secret pocket on the inside of his coat.
“Aora? That’s where your advisors are meeting now?” asked Miaki, pausing by the door to make sure the book was hidden.
“No, we have a meeting with some of our international branches,” replied Chishaki, as he gently pulled the protector over the brown book.
“Ah, I see, you don’t have those very often, do you?”
“No, not often enough.”
“Hello sir, can I help you?” Chishaki glanced up from his task to see Miaki talking to an odd-looking figure. At first glance, he looked like an overweight kodama, but upon closer inspection, his bald head and beady little eyes made it quite clear that he wasn’t a typical kodama. There was something else, something that made Chishaki uneasy, and suspicious.
“Ah yes, your clerk informed me that you would have the book I ordered, Care of the Umpidori?” he asked in a squeaky voice.
“Oh, Kobashi-san! Yes, I do have that, let me get that for you real quick.” Miaki ducked back into the office to grab a book off one of the bookshelves. Chishaki walked past, giving a rather hasty nod, letting a bit of uneasiness show. Kobashi’s reaction surprised him, he seemed relieved that Chishaki was uneasy. Then he glanced down, and Chishaki followed his gaze, Chishaki had messed up the protector big time. The uneasiness left the air as Kobashi’s lip twitched with amusement, and it was shaken off of Miaki’s shoulders when Chishaki grinned sheepishly at him.
“Ugh, Yamida-sama,” moaned Miaki as he went to his desk and grabbed another protector. “You’re going to have to do this by yourself, I really must go. Kobashi-san, that will be fifteen yen.” Kobashi took out his wallet and quickly counted the coins, handing them to Miaki when he was done.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you. A good day to you, Miaki-san.”
“And to you, Kobashi-san.” Kobashi gave an elegant bow before leaving to browse some books. “And a good day to you, Yamida-sama.”
“And to you, Miaki-san.” The two bowed before Miaki rushed off. Chishaki placed the new protector half-hazardly around the book before placing it in his coat pocket. He walked to the front, passing by Saori on the way, checking out a customer. Then, an eerie feeling came over him, like he was being watched. It was slight at first, but with every step he took, the intensity grew. Finally, as his hand touched the doorknob, it was so intense that he knew it was safe to turn around. Saori and the customer apparently felt it too as three pairs of eyes scanned the store. Once they had scanned it for the third time, the feeling began to die. Chishaki caught Saori’s eye and the two shrugged, Chishaki finally leaving the store.
He quickly went about tending to the rest of his errands, getting back in time to catch the next train. It wasn’t until he was safe behind the doors of his hotel room in Aora that he let his mind muse over Kobashi. He was no doubt half kodama and half oni, and was more than likely looking for the black book that still lay in Chishaki’s coat pocket. He didn’t take it out until he was ready for bed and had made sure the room was well secured. He took the protector off of the brown book and placed it firmly around the black book before putting the other protector around the brown. He smiled when the black book turned brown, then turned his attention back to the real brown book.
He perused its contents, several of the most basic onja exercises were in it. He had mastered those long ago, He, Tsubasi, and Benyakko could effectively teach those. The rest of the book was filled with otherwise useless information, it only looked important because of the way it was worded, but nothing more. Chishaki put down the book and let his eyes wander over the room as he figured out how to get the black book to Benyakko. A smile lit his face as an idea grew in his mind. He gave a slight nod. the plan was decided upon, but it would have to wait until the next day. He quickly hid the two books before turning off the lights to go to bed.
Chishaki planned his route well for the next day, wanting to get everything he would need before he made his move. He also wanted to be sure the bait would be taken, which should distract them long enough for the book to get safely into Benyakko’s hands. He deliberately took his time, but going too fast or too slow would immediately alert them to his knowledge. He went to all of his regular haunts, Sao Chamsi for a light lunch, a visit to the museum, a quick stop at the library, and dinner at Nayoni’s. There were a couple of places not usually on his regular routine in Aora, he had to make a couple of quick stops for some clothes for Sishachi and some new gardening tools for Benyakko.
Later that evening, before going to dinner, Chishaki packed a box with everything he bought and hid the black book between layers of clothes before taking it to get mailed. He felt so much better knowing that the black book was getting closer to being safe, though he was curious as to why the brown book was still on his person. He didn’t have to wait long, though, as it disappeared while he dined at Nayoni’s. He put on a show of looking for it before giving up and returning to his hotel room, where he eagerly began phase two.
Later, as the lights went out one by one, two dark figures tiptoed through darkened alleys, one tailing the other. They zig zagged their way through the city with seemingly no destination in sight, but then the first one entered an otherwise abandoned building, the second following all the way to the roof.
“Are you looking for this, Koumoko?” the first figure asked in a squeaky voice, turning around to face his masked opponent. Koumoko paused, he knew that voice, and the size and shape of the figure only confirmed his suspicions.
“Perhaps, it certainly looks like it,” Koumoko replied in his deep voice, inching slowly closer. “Who are you and what is its importance to you?”
The figure cackled, “You can call me Umpidori, and it is important to me for two reasons. One, to keep it from you, and two, to learn the secrets of the onja, what else? Come, I thought you would have been smarter than that.”
“What if I am? What if that’s the wrong book and the real one is still out there?”
“Well then, we would be back at the beginning, now wouldn’t we? But that’s not the case.”
“So why let me tail you?”
“To let you know that Dokusha has a new part-time ally who is more determined to take you down and keep the onja from returning.”
“Really, that’s all?”
Umpidori cackled, “Yes, Koumoko, I do not go out of my way to make our meetings over the top, but I do have a taste for the theatrical.” A helicopter rose behind Umpidori, startling Koumoko, it had made no noise. “Just like the umpidori, swift and silent. So be careful, Koumoko, you’ll never know when I’m around.” Then, with a grin, Umpidori boarded the helicopter and it disappeared into the clouds. Koumoko stayed where he was, watching it shrink until he could see it no more before leaving the building. He chuckled to himself as he changed into his civilian clothes in an empty alley.
“Really, Umpidori, you are so sure of yourself. Don’t you know that this is just the first step to your downfall? Who knows, I might end up with a new ally myself.” He smiled at the notion as he joined a crowd, making his way back to the hotel, eager to get this over with and to return to Yagomi.
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