The World Unseen

Chapter 3 -- Hoshi no tama

'If you want to play the lion's share in life, you must wear fox skin.'

- Oscar Wilde.

While I was pretending that I was sleeping, I heard Aki stirring as the other workers were coming upstairs to conclude their night as they have done for hundreds of years.

"Hey, Aki!" spoke Chika as she came into the hall, looking exhausted from her battle with the tengu. Behind her was a young female fox who was new to the inn, and an old male fox that was carrying a massive jar of sake.

Aki glanced at the three kitsunes as she smiled, fluffing out her nine tails "Hi Chika, Ikumi! Ryu, do you think that is a large enough bottle of sake? Fufufu!"

"It is medicine for my old bones!" Ryu chuckled, bringing the sake over with four cups for everyone to share.

They all settled in a 'sitting' area as Aki noticed some amulets from the goddess Inari, hanging around Chika's neck.

"What is with the omamori?" Aki asked Chika.

"I needed them to teach those tengu a lesson." she chuckled. Ikumi glanced over Aki's shoulder as she was staring at a form resting near where Aki normally sleeps.

"What is that?" Ikumi asked, wondering if a guest had invaded their private space.

"Shh!" Aki hushed Ikumi as she knew she had much to explain, but also knew that it was a delicate case. "Let's try to keep our voices down, he has had a very hard day."

"Understood." Ikumi nodded, dropping the interest "So, what game are we playing tonight?"

"Kitsune Bakuchi!" grinned Ryu, taking a swig of sake.

"Fox gambling?" Aki asked Ryu. She has played this game many times. It is simple to learn, one player is the banker. The other players begin with a set limit of stakes. Each player makes a wager and then tosses three dice in the hopes of making three-of-a-kind. If they succeed, the wager is returned four times to the player. If they do not make a three-of-a-kind, they then lose whatever they had wagered.

"Are none of you interested in playing two-ten-jack?" Aki grinned, it was a game of tricks; something that a kitsune was blessed doing.

"Not a chance! Fufufu!" Chika giggled, knowing better than to play that game with Aki "We are rolling dice tonight!" as she rolled the dice in her cupped hands and then tossed the dice upon the floor.

I listened to the foxes gambling and drinking as I closed my eyes, praying that I could rest. But they were loud and rowdy, using their magic, trying to manipulate the dice to get three-of-a-kind.

The game was very tense with three kitsunes carefully wagering the stakes. Chika and Ikumi were not having a good night, whereas Aki was on the verge of claiming their wagers. Chika was going all out as she laid all of her stakes on the floor, and rolled the dice. Her magic wasn't strong enough to undo Aki's enchantment as she rolled a 1, 1, 3.

"Darn!" Chika groaned, drunk.

Ikumi only now had one stake left as she placed it on the deck and rolled a 2,3,4. Aki grin as she cheered aloud "I win!"

Chika's eyes opened wide as she was bewildered. She gasped as she cried out "Aki!"

"Do not look all too shocked that you lost to me!" Aki grinned "I've been playing this game for over six hundred years!"

"It isn't that!" Chika gasped "It's Sora! He's transforming!"

Aki's eyes turned to me as I was in mid transformation. My silver fur had receded as my fox ears had been replaced with human ears. The tail that I was cuddling with had disappeared from my hands as I had reverted back to my normal form.