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“Tenchi!”
The bellow of the name reverberated through the suffocating smog of charcoal black, that hung like a heavy scent of death over the forest, nicking the horizon. For days of worth has the sun not shone upon the living on this Mountain, no rain has coated and coaxed the breathing with its gentle drops of crystal. Grass and flowers, small little animals, have seized to be and wake the forest every day from its slumber. All the creatures that could leave this mountain range, predicting what misfortune would befall it days prior, have long made their way over the mountains and to a place safe. The black entity has began feasting upon the glowing light inside every and each living being it would spot a few nights ago, and proof were the once lush trees now shrivelled and dead. Pieces of them continued to fall upon the lifeless ground, as the centuries they absorbed into their trunks and mighty branches turned to ash.
Massive onyx wings disturbed the stiff air, as they frantically beat to keep the body of the spirit ascended. Disheveled feathers detached themselves from the body that was once brimming with them, each motion and frazzled jerk of the daitengu causing more and more to detach and with them the spiritual energy of the daitengu to seep out. The demon remembered not the last time he felt so disheveled, so disoriented, so scared. He was once the strongest upon these spines of mountain peaks, the rightful protector of all who lived here, and not even humans dared challenge his superiority. The mini-God of Kumotake- the name of the main peak of this mountain range- and the fearsome daitengu, a wise Sage, Genkei. Upon the mountain, always covered by clouds, rested a Shinto temple dedicated to the God-like yokai. Frequented by all, and through whose Torii would many villagers and travellers pass to utter a prayer before the small but carefully built haiden. They would believe that he would watch over their safety when out in these mountains, and he did, but solemnly after those worthy in his judgement.
In the frenzy of losing the power and composure he was known for, Genkei continued to look - through the hazy darkness- for the possibility of spotting a familiar flicker of a fiery life energy that he has now come to adorn over the decades. Having memorised the life energy and the feeling of it, the sharp but warm caress of a flame, it would have been no trouble to find the one he was looking for in the past- even through the multiple glows of the living energy in other creatures. Now, he could barely see anything so far in the sky- where the air was a little lighter than the heavy smog that lay over his precious mountains. He ought to discard fruitless attempts to spot Tenchi so high from the sky and come a little closer to the ground, where- even if it would be harder to breath- he would have more chances of finding the young Zenko fox.
“ Where are you..? Tenchi!”
Another panicked call into the murky dark emptiness, the soul of the Sage quivering in despair- the feeling unfamiliar for he has not felt it for centuries. The desperation and fear were maddening, gnawing away at his mind and only pleasing the black entity- the smog- for it fed off of dark emotions and death. In that moment, another wave of weakness shook the charcoal feathered demon- once powerful wings giving out for two beats. Genkei felt the familiar pull of gravity, air whisking by as he began to fall, regaining the bare minimum of strength in his wings only after solid minutes of falling. Three more feathers detached themselves, continuing to fall and lose the strong colour of onyx until they touched the ground- laying to rest upon the gathered layer of ash.
Gasping for air, for it seemed like something curled its tendrils around his throat, the Sage gulped a generous amount of the poisonous fog when it was no longer painful to breathe. He cared not that even more poison was allowed into his body, at the moment, for his life energy was already being stolen by the entity that was this suffocating smog- who eagerly curled around Genkei’s body to easily tug out the demon's life energy. With an enraged snarl stretched upon a crimson face, fangs flashing as a threat to the surrounding blackness, and barely remaining ounces of might, he released a sharp gust of wind with a mighty flap of his wings. Which, for a moment, shielded his front from the threat. Followed by another gust of wind, giving him the clear sight of a few meters before Genkei dived down. He needed to get closer to the dead surface of the forest if he wished to find the one he was looking for, even if his last efforts to fight off the foul entity would render him completely powerless. The daitengu already wasted enough time as he was trying to search for Tenchi from up in the sky, yet met nothing but his own echoing voice.
Then he suddenly caught a flicker of orange with the soothing of white, before the spark died down again- becoming dimmer as if the fog tried to cover it away from the yokais keen onyx eyes.
“ Oh no, you won’t fool me.”
The yokai spat with seething anger and venom woven into the words, the only listener being the entity-like suffocating fog. Wings snapped close, pressed to the mighty back of the daitengu, as he began to plummet down towards the ground. The air whipped by him as he fell down and down, soon emerging from clouds to clearly see the dying forest that once coated the peak of Kumotake in a lush clothing of green. But his attention was somewhere else, and that was the fading orb of energy he saw from up high in the sky. There was no mistaking it, for the small little fire of a soul was no other than the Inari fox.
“ See me, Tenchi!!”
Bellowing one more time the name so familiar on his tongue, ebony wings snapped open as the tree tops started to get too close for comfort. The air was quick to jerk the guardian spirit back, the leaving otherworldly strength of his wings keeping him from falling backwards as they beat to stabilize him upright in the motionless air. His gaze remained fixated on the spot he felt the warmth come from, in an attempt to specify whatever it was truly the one he was looking for or simply a trick of the malicious entity around them. A flicker of the flame was all it took for the wind controlling Sage to fold his wings again and fall right through the treetops.
As soon as the ash-covered ground came into view, he flipped himself in the air to land upon clawed feet- wings pressed close but the movement of the towering body rising up specks of dead leaves and remains of the flora. A few more raven feathers landed around him. About to take a step forward, the daitengu suddenly was hit with a wave of weakness- one that was stronger this time and almost brought him to his knees. Even if he tried to take a step forward, his feet buckled under his weight and he wobbled in place. Coughs, wet and painful coughs, shook his body and tore his bosom from inside out - hindering him in place. Weakness made his body heavy, so heavy that even raising his arm to clutch at his chest was but an impossible task to accomplish. The episode lasted longer this time, and left the Sage completely and utterly drained.
“ Is that all..? All that you can do..?”
Looking up, he smirked up at the fog around him in mockery, straightening his back in the process.
“ That was a pathetic attempt to stop me. You would have to try harder and do more damage if you wish to kill me.”
The reply never came at his provocation, but he knew the entity that was the dark fog understood him. Not lingering to find out what the creature would do, the spirit finally set down the path- following the warmth and the pull of a familiar burning energy.
The silence that followed him as company in his search was unsettling, for Genkei was not used to this forest being so deathly motionless. He was always greeted with the rustle of trees or calls of birds and even the flickering presence of a wild animal, never was it so still as now. Perhaps the only calming factor was the hope that his dear friend was alive. Perhaps hanging onto the last threads that held his existence in the mortal and spiritual realm, but at least alive.
Nearing the weakly glowing flame of the Zenkos soul, the daitengu caught a whisper travelling through the dense air. It was but a weakly said name of his. The feebleness of the voice alarmed the yokai even more so, and he sped his trudging through the woods- practically stumbling through fallen trees to reach the source of the voice. Under a barely standing cedar tree, most of whose branches now nothing but dust and its thick- ancient- trunk shrivelling up, lay the pale form of a celestial kitsune. The glow of its powdered white pelt was fading, when once it was as brilliant as the gentle ray of a Moon. Long and sharp fox ears lay flat upon its head, beady black eyes closed and the body barely moving in all- beside the occasional heavy rise of the back as it took a breath. However, when the guardian appeared not even two meters away the messenger of Inari stirred and cracked its eyes open.
“ Took you….long enough...”
Tenchi rasped, a hint of a grin pulling at his muzzle before he tried to rise. The Sage was by his side in a blink of an eye, aiding his old friend in this meager movement that now took all of the celestial's energy.
“ We must...leave this forest, it is but a... lost cause now to try and….. do anything about the spread of this… plaque.”
Leaning upon the trunk of the cedar, a clawed black hand kept him back and from falling, the fox breathed a few lungfuls of the thick air. Nothing seemed to help and ease his feeble state, for the fog still fed on both of their life forces like a parasite. Slowly, continuously, and painfully for the prey. A long death.
“ You know well I can not, Tenchi. I am a part of this forest, and as thus I am destined to meet my end here.”
The words displeased the heavenly being, for his muzzle pulled back in a sneer- sharp canines flashing in display. Gathering the last droplets of energy he sat up properly, shrugging off the hand upon his shoulder. In every word spoken next he engraved a steel fierceness, there were no pauses of frailness in between.
“ Stop spitting dramatics about something you have not tried to do. How do you know..? Simply because you were told so by the Gods. You are willing to die following their word..?”
No response was given and the horrible silence settled about them again, equally ebony eyes- as his once vibrant feathers- diverting from the keen eyes of the fox. At long last the Sage gave a response, but it was no less satisfactory.
“ I shall die for the oath I gave in this life to the one who gave me this chance. I intend to keep my oath, and foresee it to the end. Even if the end that awaits me is bitter and painful, then so be it. I am a guardian of Kumotake, and I will die as such- a guardian.”
The ethereal was ready to speak again but was stopped by a flurry of coughs that shook his whole body to the very core of his existence- the glowing fiery flame. Both hands of the yokai were placed upon the shoulders of the celestial being, steadying him.
“ If I must die, then so be it. But I will not die by the will of this entity that has killed my home, I shall die as I see fit.”
Tenchi suddenly jerked in place, feeling the soothing essence- with a sharp bite to it, the nature of the wind that Genkei controlled- starting to ooze into him. The life force of the Heaven Dog easily mixed with that of the Zenko, becoming his in the end. He felt a rush of strength course through his body, the rice pelt of his gaining its healthy glow. The cost to that, however, was another existence.
“ Fool, seize at once this madness!”
The messenger attempted to pull himself away, his eyes panicked as they looked at the stoic yokai before him. One who refused to ease his hold upon his shoulders, successfully pinning him in place. The ink eyes of the daintengu stayed unyielding, his crimson mouth set into a taunt straight line. The pain that was before but a nagging presence slowly increased, and soon he felt as if the steel of a sword was cutting deep into his flesh. Particularly the portion of his bosom where deep inside the core, his soul, was. It was no longer a strong orb of glowing white but a dimming speck, shrinking in size as the life force was forcefully given to the Inari fox.
“ I do not wish to be the cause of your death, Genkei. Do you hear me..? Spare me the guilt and soul ache, stop.”
Tears began to gather at the corners of the foxes' thin eyes as he watched his old friend all but wither away, the feathers of his wings starting to fall one by one. The black now lay atop the grey ash, tainting the ground around the Sage.
“ This is my choice, and only. I will die but save a life in return, your life.”
Strength was slowly leaving the body of the yokai, his shoulders slouching and almost bare wings falling to brush the ground. The pride with which the spirit used to carry himself was gone, replaced by exhaustion and pain. This was too, a slow death, but one that should not be in vain.
“ We can leave together, can we not..?”
Tenchis voice almost cracked again, but not because of weaknesses but rather the sadness that was squeezing his throat tight. The suggestion did not deter his friend from the choice he made and the life force still continued to seep into him, in smaller quantities though. The Heavenly Dog was running out of it, and soon would he meet the same fate as the domain he once swore to protect.
“ If we leave together, neither of us will make it. Both of us will lose our lives. I am ensuring at least one of us survives.”
Arguing was pointless, for there was no point that would prove the god-like creature wrong. As thus the celestial hung his muzzle, the tears not spilling even if he felt immense grief.
“ You stubborn fool.”
Rasping a chuckle, for one last time a smile brightened the menacing features of the dying being. As best as he could his clawed hand, which still rested upon the messenger's shoulder, gave him a reassuring squeeze.
“ That.. I am. Promise me...this, Tenchi. Live for both...of us, my friend. Live.. without guilt. Without….re- re..gret.”
The baritone voice of the Sage faded with the last word, the hands that held onto his friend releasing its hold. The remainder of the vital energy was given and thus the body of the guardian began to fall forward, red eyelids dropping over onyx eyes- the light in them gone and so the glister of last remaining feathers upon the body of the wise spirit. Before the body met the forest floor there was a burst of a breeze and a dim light, and out of nowhere delicate hands with thin fingers caught it into a soft embrace. In place of a white Inari fox now sat a man with a soft face but same sharp ebony eyes. Lips thin and a shade darker than cherry blossoms, hair a striking white of snow- falling down in straight tresses to his lower back. Nine tails with black furred tips lay around him, sharp ears- with the ends too, black- still pressed down atop the Zenkos head.
“ I promise.”
It was a barely audible whisper uttered into the still air, well sculptured fingers stroking the feathers on the back of the daitengu as he hugged the still body close. A final farewell before he would set in haste to the border of this forest to escape the entity.
“ Find your peace and know that your oath has been fulfilled. Whenever the time might come, I will wait to meet you again, Genkei.”
The body of the Sage was carefully laid down but Tenchi sat still for a few more moments, simply gazing down at the one he knew for centuries now dead. Swallowing a sob that was about to spill, he willed himself to stand up- taking two of the raven black feathers in the process. With tears streaming down his cheeks, the messenger morphed back into a giant white fox. The feathers carefully grasped between his teeth, a last memory.
One last look was spared at the yokai before the celestial turned and bound away, leaving behind someone who taught him the nature of caring for another- a human trait that the daitengu rediscored in himself as well, even if he was no longer human.
There was no wind that would whsiper a lament for the dead, no living creature in sight that would mourn. There was but the old cedar tree, its still remaining branches as if reaching down to cover the unmoving form of the spirit. Under this cedar tree was the resting place of a once monk turned demon for his sins, ones not grave enough for eternal suffering but worthy of punishment. Thus he was reborn as a Daitengu, the wisest of his kind, and given a task of protecting this mountain and all that lived there. Even dying the Sage followed his promise, saving all he could and even willingly giving away- what was so vital to him- for the sake of another. For the sake of the only one he ever truly cared for. He sought redemption all throughout his existence as a supposedly evil spirit, but dying he worried only for the wellbeing of those he swore to keep from harm.
There, under the dying cedar tree, for eternity will be the grave of the mountain god of Kumotake- Genkei, the Sage and willer of winds.