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Himuro Mansion: Prologue

氷室邸

Himuro Tei

'Himuro Mansion'

- Prologue -

Chirping of birds. Sunlight slowly dripping through the gaps between the nests of leaves. Rustling and shifting within the bushes further away, deeper into the woods. Coldness of shadows despite the honey light. An easily felt moisture lingering in the air. And most importantly, footsteps crushing the fallen leaves, tiny branches and young grass strings.

The atmosphere was serene. Pleasant. Lonesome, but not lonely. This kind of isolation seemed to put peace to mind. For a lone man, it could be said that a journey through such surroundings is wise and holy, but for a couple, it might as well be lewd.

Just how many affairs have the trees witnessed? Yet, there walked a man and a woman, side by side. Both walked as if they were alone, and it, indeed, looked like a journey to wisdom, and not an unholy affair.

"Hmm..." a feminine voice lulled out, immediately after a specific ring reached her ears. It was a silent, gentle and light echo of a bell, caused by an equally feather-like movement. "There could be something near, yes?"

She had only received a small, barely noticeable nod from the eccentric male by her side, yet that was more than enough to confirm the tiniest of doubts which began to form and whirl within her head.

That sound was created by the lightest movement of the curious scales within the man's wooden backpack, warning that the air is carrying more than one may think.

And truthfully, the moist in the breeze became chillier, cooler just slightly, just a tiny little bit. If it weren't for the warning, the girl wouldn't even notice it, or at least give it much of her attention.

She knew that this wasn't just a walk to find shelter for the night. They weren't looking for an inn, or a place to hide themselves. They were searching for the unholy, cursed energy that shouldn't even exist in the world as everyone knows it. And they seemed to be on the right track.

It was rather... interesting to be a companion of this man, merely known as the Medicine Seller - for he might as well be nameless, nonexistent. His attitude barely changed and with the impression he had given off the first couple of times they've met before, it was hard to consider him a normal person. It was still hard to do so, hence why Y/N spent good couple of minutes comprehending the scene of him eating a meal, or sleeping soundly and peacefully, even if it was only for a short while. The fox-like male was not impressed by those reactions, but they were slightly amusing, and as such they were responded to with a remark that made Y/N visibly irritated. Such irritation was only surface-levelled, however, as she was actually fond of this companion of hers. She found that this man of exotic appearance and nature was far better company than a steed she'd have to take care of. She'd never yearn to return to the time after her parents' tragic and bloody deaths when she had to travel alone and seek refuge in the homes of her relatives, the ones that'd only see her as an object holding many benefits to them. Other than her worth as a woman, she held no purpose in their eyes. Maybe that was a reason she had found herself before the gates to Inunaki Village in her search of a new place to call 'home'.

Slowly, the outlines of a building came into the view. This building was noticeably old, yet still grounded and standing tall, its base and form strong and stable. They approached it from the woods, yet it appeared that a sandy and unruly road lead to it from the other side, even though the grass was slowly eating away at it. The hazel shade of the wood blended in well with the overall aesthetics of the forest and nature, its surface strangled and embraced by the dark green vines and leaves. No one lived there, that much was obvious.