Awazuki wiped sweat off her brow.
If she had been allowed to choose, she would have worn nothing but the simple wraps that left her legs bare she had worn as a child. Still, she was technically a noblewoman, and while no-one in the village cared much about propriety, there were some standards that had to be maintained. At least when she stayed at the shrine or went to hunt youkai, she only had to wear one layer on top of her kosode and hakama, but now that she was taking her sister's place in visiting the village, her grandmother had insisted on the bare minimum of four layers. Awazuki had gone with the lightest coats possible, pinks and purples that went well with the red and white of the rest of her outfit, but pretty colours didn't make the extraneous layers any less unbearably hot. How Meizuki always wore at least five layers like a proper lady and actually got goosebumps with less, she could never understand.
Still, even if she wound up reeking of sweat, none of the villagers smelled like roses either. Besides, she wasn't interested in marrying any of them, so who cared if she was unattractive as long as she did her job right?
She had heard that elsewhere, daughters of nobles were practically sold off to the highest bidder as soon as they were technically of a marriageable age. Sometimes she was truly glad to live in a backwater village with its own customs. Unlike those poor girls in big cities, she was allowed to leave the shrine and show her face to whomever she damn well pleased, as well as have a say in who she was to marry. She would need to find a husband one day only if Meizuki didn't, and Awazuki had already seen fifteen summers with no proposals and hoped for fifteen more, even if it meant she died without children. Better an old maid than dead in a year giving birth to a child for a man she didn't love.
"Awazuki."
Awazuki turned around on the porch. Half of Meizuki's face was visible through a chink in the door. She was still hideously pale, but by now she was capable of eating solid food again, and could even sit up for brief moments at a time.
Awazuki smiled, trying to keep her pity off her face. She pushed the door more ajar for a proper glimpse at Meizuki and crouched down to her level. "I thought you were asleep."
"I had to wish you luck, didn't I?"
Awazuki smiled. "It'll be fine. I asked Grandmother how I'm supposed to act at the village. Just rest.."
Meizuki beamed back. "I'm already feeling a lot better." If anything, the smile made her look more ill.
"All the same, child. You should go back to sleep." Their grandmother had appeared by Awazuki's side without her noticing.
"Of course, Grandmother." Meizuki lay back down and closed her eyes.
"Good child." Grandmother slid the door shut, then turned towards Awazuki. "Come here." She took her by the lapels of her outermost jacket and yanked it straight, not unkindly. "You must look your very best today."
"I know, " Awazuki mumbled, suppressing her frustration as well as she could. Her voice trembled, but she wasn't sure why. They had just gone over how she was supposed to act the previous night, and either way, she knew by heart what were the right things to say. At least, she was pretty sure she did.
It wasn't supposed to be a big deal. All she needed to do was walk down to the village, observe the youkai situation, ask the villagers about recent trouble, smile, leave a favourable impression, and return home. Meizuki had done that every week for two years without a single hitch. Awazuki could do this.
If only her hands would stop shaking.
Grandmother must have read her apprehension from her face, as her severe expression softened just a tad. "Do not fear. In the end, as long as your sister survives, whatever damage your conduct may cause, the Hakurei clan's position will remain secure."
Awazuki looked to the side, doing what she could to hide her expression. "I won't forget that."
She said nothing more as Grandmother finished tinkering with her appearance and hobbled back to the other side of the shrine. Then, with a heavy sigh, she picked up the gohei she had left on the edge of the porch earlier that morning and walked across the courtyard.
It took her twenty minutes to reach the outskirts of the village; down the stony steps, still slippery with icemelt, down the footpath across the meadow, past the crossroads with the jizou statue and down the western path from there. The air was brisk, with non-existent wind, just the way she liked it. Better yet, the long trip gave her time to reflect.
She had barely slept during the past several nights, tossing and turning and trying to comprehend the events of the fateful night. Just who was Hijiri? Where had she come from and why was she lurking in the woods surrounding Reishoumiya? If she wasn't the one responsible for Meizuki's injuries, then who was? Why couldn't Awazuki shake off he memory of her bitter defeat,of Hijiri standing above her god-like, emanating raw power? And why was it further followed by a stab of envy?
Her ruminations were interrupted by the sight of a cluster of small buildings, meaning she had reached the heart of Reishoumiya. Not all villagers lived there, but those who didn't were scattered across the area, and it was common custom for people to gather by the well by the houses here should they need any help or guidance from Meizuki that wasn't so urgent as to require a visit to the shrine.
This isn't how it's done in the outside world, Awazuki thought as she approached. In all the stories, the villagers come to the nobles for aid, not the nobles to them...
But this wasn't the outside world, and so she did her best to put on a polite expression. She was doing this for Meizuki, after all. Besides, she had nothing against the villagers. They were people living as best they could under difficult circumstances. Nothing wrong with that. It was all just a bit... dull, sometimes. Youkai, hateful though they were, were at least exciting.
The closer she got, the more she noticed that something was amiss. Several dozen villagers had clustered by the well, all their backs turned towards Awazuki, their attention fixed to something she couldn't see.
She paused and hesitated. Two young farmers, a man and a woman, emerged from the group, carrying hoes on their backs and walking towards Awazuki, paying her no mind. As they approached, Awazuki caught their hushed conversation.
"It's awfully convenient timing. That's all I'm saying," the woman said in a low voice.
The man scoffed. "You're always so sceptical."
"Our goddess is injured hunting youkai, and suddenly another youkai hunter shows up? News don't travel that fast."
"It's a coincidence, nothing more."
The woman rolled her eyes. "You're so naive."
"You saw her for yourself. Did she look like someone who would conspire like that? Maybe we should go back so that you can ask her personally exactly why she's here."
"Like she'd give me a straight answer."
"Excuse me." Awazuki spoke up. The farmers flinched and looked up in surprise. "What's going on here?"
After a moment of stunned silence, the woman turned towards the man with a fresh frown. "See, she's not even cooperating with the Hakurei."
"Maybe no-one told her of them yet?"
"I asked you a question," said Awazuki sternly.
The woman bowed. "I'm sorry, Lady Hakurei. A Buddhist youkai hunter just arrived here today. She said she'd stop all youkai attacks in the area for nothing but some food."
"All youkai attacks?" Awazuki snorted. "Obviously she has no idea what she's getting herself into."
"She claims to be an oni specialist," said the man. He turned towards his partner. "Either way, did you see the way the others listened to her, almost like she was a goddess as well? I suppose it's not that surprising now that Princess Ayame is incapacitated, but..."
"Right." Awazuki had to smother a flinch at the words 'oni specialist', and then continued the man's line of thought, trying to keep bitterness out of her voice and not fully succeeding. "Of course they would turn towards the next person who showed up for safety. It's not like anyone else will protect them."
The woman gave Awazuki an oddly sympathetic look. "Since you're here in person, Lady Hakurei, perhaps you could talk to her? I'm not sure she's trustworthy."
The man sighed. "Here we go again."
"I will go," Awazuki said quickly before they could continue their argument. "It concerns all of Reishoumiya, after all."
The farmers bowed and walked past Awazuki.
Awazuki suppressed a sigh. She wasn't surprised that the villagers all but ignored her when she so paled next to Meizuki, but it still stung. She too had her track record in exterminating youkai and keeping the village safe, after all. Was she really so invisible that the moment Meizuki was incapacitated, the people thought themselves utterly defenceless?
Trying to swallow her bitterness, she marched forward, then lightened her stride to step quietly to the tail end of the crowd, standing on her toes for a better view of what was going on.
Here, finally, she spotted the person the villagers were gathered around. It was a tall woman, with strange hair; light brown turning purple at the tips. She was dressed like a Buddhist nun, and her age was impossible to gauge: she looked young, but the serene expression on her face was that of a far older person.
However, it was not the woman's age that interested Awazuki. It was that she instantly recognised her.
The youkai from the woods.
Awazuki found herself speechless and unable to move. The audacity! How dare this youkai prance into the village and pass herself as a human? And how could the people be falling for it?
She looked on, still dazed. Her purpose announced, Hijiri was now speaking to a childless couple with a patient smile on her face.
"We have plenty of room to spare," the wife of the couple babbled excitedly. "We cannot offer you any luxuries, but it would be a great honour to be your host."
Hijiri bowed. "A corner on the floor is all I need, and if you can offer me that, I will be most grateful."
The wife clapped her hands together. "Then it's settled! If you would so please, you can come with us right away! We live a short distance from here, and our door is always open to travellers. Isn't that right, dear?"
The husband nodded, with a look on his face suggesting he had just swallowed a gou's worth of fermented beans.
Hijiri smiled, and Awazuki could contain herself no longer. She stepped into the crowd, which dispersed around her as soon as they recognised her, leaving a straight line of sight from her to Hijiri.
Hijiri paused, and turned to meet her eyes. Her smile froze on her face.
The wife blinked, and turned to look at what had caught the nun's attention. Before long, all eyes were on Awazuki and Hijiri.
Awazuki began sweating more vigorously than ever, cursing in her mind. She hadn't intended to cause a giant spectacle, but neither could she turn away. She couldn't fight the youkai here, not with so many bystanders risking injury, not when it was highly possible she would lose and perish this time around. At the very least, she needed to find some way to remove Hijiri from the village before attacking, so the villagers would have a chance to flee if it came to fatal blows. It was time to stretch her acting abilities to their very limit.
As she racked her brain for a sensible thing to say, all she could do was wonder what Hijiri was even doing there? Was she lulling the villagers into a false sense of security? Was she attempting to undermine the position of the Hakurei clan? Both at the same time?
She pulled her face into what she hoped was a mild, polite expression. "Greetings, traveller. I am Hakurei no Awazuki, acting as chief shrine maiden on behalf of my sister." Her eyes burned. "May I ask you for your name and the purpose of your visit?"
In her defence, Hijiri managed to mask her surprise well. She bowed deeply. "I am Byakuren Hijiri, an itinerant youkai exterminator. I was travelling nearby when I heard rumours of a village constantly plagued by youkai, and thought to offer my services."
"Right." It was all Awazuki could do to stop herself from sneering. "I suppose those rumours neglected to mention my sister. And myself."
"Oh, not at all. If anything, the rumours spoke highly of your clan." Hijiri's smile was so kind that if Awazuki hadn't known better, she would have thought it genuine. "I would never dare disparage your skills. It simply seems that perhaps the youkai population has grown to such an untenable size that it may take more than just two exterminators, no matter how excellent, to cull it." She bowed again. "I wish merely to offer my services, nothing more. We share a common cause, and so I hope you will accept my humble assistance."
All the villagers turned towards Awazuki.
Awazuki forced a smile on her face. The youkai was good was at this. She was going to need all of her lacklustre charisma in order to pass through this with flying colours. "Nothing would please me more. Let us work together to ensure the safety of the village."
"Oh, indeed," said Hijiri, sounding very earnest. "I hoped you would agree on that. United we will stand even more capable, and I am looking forward to working in consort with you."
Awazuki's smile began to twitch. "Likewise."
With the tension seemingly evaporating, the crowd dispersed, chatting lowly amongst themselves, leaving only Awazuki and Hijiri standing in place.
Awazuki pinned Hijiri down with her gaze, then nudged her head to the right, towards a nearby meadow. Without waiting for a response, she walked away.
As she had hoped, Hijiri followed her. Once at the meadow, Hijiri looked around to see no-one was in hearing distance, then raised her eyebrow at Awazuki. "Did you wish to speak with me?"
"You bet I do," Awazuki said quietly. A villager walked down the nearby road, casting a curious glance at the two of them, and so she did her best to keep both her face and voice level. "So, a youkai that's a youkai hunter? No camaraderie among your kind, I take it?" She narrowed her eyes. "Funny, though. Based on your actions before, I would have taken you for a stalwart defender of the youkai. Were you simply grumpy about me hunting upon your preying ground, or what is this about?"
Hijiri's look grew more closed. "That is... I attacked you because you were wreaking havoc upon innocent youkai. I couldn't remain an onlooker."
"And why would you care, if you're a youkai hunter yourself?" Awazuki grinned without mirth. "Let's cut to the chase. What you said earlier to the villagers was a load of nonsense, wasn't it?"
Hijiri flinched. "I wouldn't say that. I can assure you that I will make certain no youkai will harm them."
Awazuki snorted. "That's the Hakurei clan's responsibility already, so no need. You can take yourself and your lies and go somewhere where they're more willing to swallow a youkai acting as a nun."
Hijiri looked around nervously. "Can we discuss this somewhere further away?"
Awazuki gave her a withering glare. "Don't take me for an idiot. We're staying near witnesses." Hijiri was oddly cowed for someone who possessed such immense power, and Awazuki hoped her bravado would keep it that way.
Hijiri's expression remained mostly unchanged, but her eyes narrowed. "Very well," she said with a sigh. "Can we at least move a little further away from the houses? I'd rather not be overheard."
"As long as we're within eye sight, I can live with it."
They wandered further into the meadow, taking in the flowers of early spring peeking forth amidst lingering pockets of snow. At length, Hijiri spoke again. "Is there anything I can swear by that would make you accept what I say as true?"
To her surprise, Awazuki found herself seriously considering her words. Hijiri was the enemy, she knew that, but something about her manner and the earnestness of her expressions made Awazuki see her more as a person than she had ever seen a youkai before. No wonder the villagers hadn't spotted her ruse.
"I don't think so," she said eventually. "Youkai always lie."
Hijiri sighed. "I was afraid you would think so. Even so, l promise I am not here to harm humans."
Awazuki frowned. "Then what are you here for?"
"I am here to find a way for humans and youkai to co-exist peacefully."
Awazuki couldn't help it: she burst into laughter. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew this left her momentarily defenceless in front of a powerful youkai, but she couldn't help it.
"Of all the bald-faced lies..." she eventually managed, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. Then, she caught a glimpse of Hijiri's expression. It could have been carved from stone. Awazuki hesitated.
"...You're either a brilliant liar, or completely deluded," she concluded, staring at Hijiri with widening eyes.
"If you doubt me, all you have to do is give me a chance to prove myself." A hint of sarcasm shadowed Hijiri's face. "After all, it seems the villagers are rather taken with me, and from what I have understood, they do no think much of your abilities. There is always a chance they would side with me should this come to a head."
"Oh, really now?" Awazuki puffed out her chest. "I am Hakurei no Awazuki, of a lineage of renowned and powerful shrine maidens going back ten generations. My sister is regarded as the local deity here, so whatever she says, goes. And she will only have to take one look at you to know you're a youkai. Besides, I can just tell her. She'll believe me. One sentence, and your ruse is over."
Immediately afterwards, she felt cold sweat running down her neck. Once again, her pride had gotten the better of her. She just had to hope Hijiri wouldn't call her bluff and inform her that unless the entire village banded together, with Meizuki gone they could do little to stop her.
"Ah." Hijiri paused. Her eyes flitting across the meadow. "How is your sister faring?"
"Better. Much better." Of course, Hijiri was only bringing Meizuki up to remind Awazuki of the fact she owed her, but remembering that still made her hesitate. Even if Hijiri had done it to ingratiate herself to her, wouldn't it have been much easier to kill her off and be rid of both the Hakurei shrine maidens? Perhaps not everything she said was a pack of lies...
"Alright," she continued, meeting Hijiri's eyes. "Maybe I won't rat you out. Turnabout's fair play." Then, the curious envy she had felt since that night made her speak. "Although, there's something else I need to ask from you first."
The corners of Hijiri's mouth twitched. "Of course. Blackmail." She averted her gaze.
"All I said was that I wanted to ask you something! Don't jump to conclusions!"
Hijiri studied Awazuki's expression, then nodded. "Very well. What it is?"
Awazuki fell silent, wondering how to word her request. Hijiri still got on her nerves, if for no other reason than for the bruises still lingering on her knees and for entering on their turf. At the same time, she was fascinating. She was the first youkai she had met that had shown her mercy, or compassion, or had displayed the staggering amounts of sheer power Awazuki had witnessed that night. Now, how to ask about all that...
"Actually, it's just one thing." She felt a bubble of enthusiasm in her stomach. "The way you fought... it was..." she grasped for words. "Honestly, I was awed." Hijiri merely raised her eyebrow at this, so she continued: "How did you do it? Or is it something all youkai of your kind can do?"
Hijiri blinked at her slowly. "Are you talking about my spells? You must have seen magic before, young shrine maiden."
Awazuki's eyes widened. "That was magic?" Of course, she had seen magic before, but the feats she had witnessed Hijiri perform eclipsed everything she had seen so far. She looked at Hijiri with new eyes. "I've heard of magicians before, but I never expected them to be so..." She hesitated. "Well, astounding."
Hijiri's expression softened. "You're interested in magic?"
"After seeing what I saw earlier, I sure am!" Awazuki replied, unable to hide her enthusiasm any longer.
Hijiri shook her head, but there was a ghost of a smile lingering on her face. "It will do you no good. You should continue your training as a shrine maiden." She sighed. "If that is all, I will now take my leave."
"But—" In her desperation, Awazuki grabbed Hijiri's sleeve. Hijiri turned back towards her, more astonished than angry. "I really need to learn it!"
Hijiri shook her hand free, but gently, and she didn't try to leave again. "And why is that?"
Awazuki swallowed. How could she convince her? "The thing is, I've been training as a shrine maiden since I was five, and my skills have already reached their peak. I can't get better at it, no matter how hard I try, and my sister is already years ahead of me."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but—"
"—And I need to get stronger," Awazuki interrupted, "because there is a youkai out there that nearly killed my sister and there's no way I'm strong enough to take it on as I am now. I need to find a way to defeat it. My sister is bedridden, and there is no-one else to stand up against it if it decides to attack the people here. You understand, right?" She looked Hijiri in the eye. "And it has to be me, because I want revenge for my sister. You understand that too, right?"
Hijiri looked bewildered. Awazuki realised she had over-shared again, and prayed Hijiri really was sincere against all odds. "If you're so concerned for the safety of this village, I can remain here until your sister recuperates—"
"No, I have to do it!" Awazuki realized she was yelling and lowered her voice. "I mean," she lowered her voice, but spoke no less urgently, "I have no idea how powerful that youkai is, or even where it came from. And what if there are more of them? What if you leave, and it'll be like when the oni attacked all over again?"
"I... I'm not sure I follow, but..." Hijiri furrowed her brow. She was silent for a long while. When she finally spoke, her voice was as calm as a lake on a windless day. "If I were to teach you magic, how could I be certain you wouldn't use it against me or other youkai besides your target?"
Awazuki immediately placed her hand over her heart. "I swear it on my life. And on my sister's life if it makes you feel better."
Hijiri gave her a long, scrutinising look. Awazuki matched her gaze without fear. It's a promise.
Finally, Hijiri sighed. "Perhaps..."
Suddenly, the whole world felt brighter. "You mean it?"
"If you can solemnly swear that you will never use anything I teach you against me or any other youkai beyond the ones who have directly harmed you and your kind, I will consider it."
"Thank you!" Awazuki gasped before she could stop herself. "I mean... you have my sincere thanks," she continued, remembering her manners. "And my word, of course."
"Then it's settled. Now, this powerful youkai you speak of..." Hijiri frowned. "I am yet to gain the confidence of the youkai of this region, so I'm not privy to all their secrets. but none of the ones I've met yet have been powerful enough to match a living goddess. What do you know of them?"
"All my sister remembers is large wings."
"Wings..." Hijiri looked as flummoxed as Awazuki felt. "I will do my best to find them. We can't leave a powerful youkai willing to attack important human leaders unchecked if we're ever to achieve peace."
Awazuki grinned. "Right. That's something we can definitely agree on."
Hijiri looked surprised, then smiled back. "Indeed. Shall we meet here again tomorrow, to further discuss these matters?"
"Right. Around noon?"
"When my kind are at their weakest?" Hijiri's tone was sceptical, but her eyes belied her amusement. "Very well, noon it is. I hope we can find an accord then, Miss Hakurei."
Awazuki couldn't help but notice the lack of 'Lady', but it bothered her less than it usually did. "I hope the same. Hijiri."
To her surprise, Hijiri chuckled. "Very well. Until tomorrow, then."
And just like that, she walked back to the road and towards the village, leaving Awazuki to try and comprehend what had just happened.
Of all the outrageous things, from her making an agreement with a youkai, to her finding herself sort of liking said youkai, one fact stood on the shoulders of everything else: Hijiri had said she'd teach her magic.
The sense of troubled joy stayed with her long after she returned home, through both the day and evening, to the very moment she drifted to sleep.