Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling

Chapter Five (Part One)

Rin traveled along a human road, her ears twisting to and fro and her senses spread out looking for other Yokai. The night was silent and no one pursued her. It seemed strange; knowing Akio, he should have sent an army after her. Why did he let me go? She hated using human roads because even those posed their own dangers. The stink of humans and the scent of earth and water invaded her nostrils, tugging at her animal instincts to run and hide, but the forest was no safer than the road. She disguised herself as a fox to travel. If she crossed paths with a human, they would see a fox unless they had spiritual powers, like that young man. There was something different about him, though I cannot quite place what it was.

Wet earth squished beneath her paws as she wandered. She glanced over her shoulder. Even with her defenses up, every shadow and chirp of the night insects made her jump. She had not thought Akio would know her. She was of minor standing in the Dragon's court. Well, she had been, but how could rumors have spread this far? How can I return home now? My reputation may never recover. A twig snapped behind her and Rin jumped, the hair on her back rising up. She peered into the dark, teeth bared. The trees swayed in the breeze, but apart from that, nothing else moved. Her spiritual powers were limited in this form, but if anyone was following her, she should have been able to sense them. Though her senses told her she was alone, she could not shake the feeling she was being followed.

She was better equipped to fight in her true form, but there were rules against doing so close to humans. Her muscles constricted, ready to spring. She sniffed the wind; the hundreds of human scents on the road had disguised a fresh scent. A quick probe indicated whoever was approaching was human. She relaxed. Along with the scent of human, there was another musk, one she could not place. Whoever it was, they were drawing closer. Rin's golden eyes pierced the darkness. In this shape, her vision was more acute and the dark did not hamper her vision. A bent figure shuffled in Rin's direction. The scent she had smelled before intensified and the musky smell disappeared, replaced by a rich tangy scent. The scent was intoxicating and her mouth watered.

An old woman hobbled over, leaning heavily on a cane. Her other hand, balled into a fist, clutched a parcel. Rin's eyes followed the parcel. The smell was coming from there. She knew that she should flee, but her feet would not listen to reason. Instead she crept closer to the old woman, who had stopped a few feet away from her. The old woman opened her crabbed hand and pulled back the covering on the parcel, revealing a brown square. It was food, Rin knew that much. Human food had never appealed to her, but this was different. She crawled closer, her belly nearly touching the ground. She sniffed the old woman's hand. It does not smell like poison. The old woman smiled; she seemed harmless enough. The wrinkles on her face reminded Rin of folds of fabric.

"Take it," the woman said. Her voice was thin and reedy. "I know you want it."

The spell the scent of the food had wound around her was irresistible. She snapped up the food. It was soft, almost creamy, with a crunchy exterior. It was divine. She had never tasted anything so good, even in the courts of the highest Kami.

Rin swallowed her food and looked to the old woman for more. The old woman was still smiling, but it was not the kindly expression from before, but a wicked, triumphant grin. How could I trust a human? She turned to run and collided with an invisible wall. Where her skin touched it, it prickled with energy and sparked as if she had brushed against a flame. It's a barrier. Panicked, she let her animal instincts take over and she turned, only to crash against another wall. The energy erupted from the barrier and singed her fur. It wasn't just a barrier but one made of spiritual energy. The old woman had penned Rin in on all sides; a barrier made of spiritual energy was one of the only things that could hold a Yokai. She looked down at the ground and a circle glowed a faint blue; unfamiliar markings had been traced in the soil. Rin growled at the old woman. Now Akio is using humans?